Your Eyes
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: "Your eyes don't hold only darkness anymore, but they do hold a lot of pain." Gaara said. No one else seemed to notice that Sasuke was suffering in silence as he watched Hinata and Naruto prepare for their wedding, but he did. That was why he offered Sasuke the chance to move to the Sand Village. That and the fact the he was in love with him, might have had something to do with it.
1. Chapter 1

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** This is YAOI story. That means there will be at least one male x male romantic pairing. There will also be references to unrequited love in this story, but don't worry. I only write happy endings. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy the story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter is framed mostly from Gaara's perspective. Next chapter will show more of Sasuke's side of things.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

Gaara was Kazekage and as such, he was expected to visit other Ninja Villages occasionally. Normally, the red head didn't mind doing this. Today was an exception though.

 _Pain._ That's what he saw in those beautiful eyes. An incredible amount of pain, but it was gone as soon as he could identify the emotion. The person in question had become shockingly good at hiding his feelings.

"Hey, Gaara! Glad you could make! So you said that you are going to be able to attend the wedding?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Gaara assures his friend.

Though he was speaking with Naruto, in reality his attention was on someone else entirely. Sasuke Uchiha. At the moment, the other ninja was currently trying his best to blend into the shadows of the corner that he was currently occupying.

It was obvious that he didn't want to be seen. The Kazekage was almost positive that he knew why. Sasuke was trying to be a good friend, but those eyes told the whole story. The last Uchiha was in love with Naruto.

"Glad to hear it! It's going to be next week. Sasuke is going to be my Best Man, of course. That doesn't mean that I like you any less. I've just known him longer!" The blonde says.

"I understand completely." The red head replies.

Gaara briefly wondered if Naruto had any idea that Sasuke was in love with him. That his love for the blonde went beyond that of mere friendship or even brotherhood. Somehow, he doubted it.

The red head was fairly certain that Naruto had no idea that two men could even be together romantically. It was even more unlikely that the next Hokage would have noticed the Uchiha's subtle looks of longing. Apparently, Sasuke was very much capable of suffering in silence.

"Great! So what about you? Is there someone special in your life?" Naruto asks.

"There might be. Naruto, would you excuse me for a few moments?" The Kage asks.

"Yeah. Of course. I have to talk to Ino about the floral arrangement anyway. It really is great to see you though. Oh and you definitely have to tell me who it is later! I want to hear all about it!" Naruto says with a wink, before the Kazekage makes a tactful retreat to _Sasuke's Corner._

Sasuke raises an eyebrow as the red head approaches. Gaara was coming to talk to him? He couldn't for the life of him figure out why, unless he wanted to give a speech.

Oh how he tired of speeches. They all essentially boiled down to the following. _"If you are a good Uchiha and behave yourself, maybe you can be happy."_

"Gaara." He acknowledges the other man.

It was more than Sasuke would give most people. The Uchiha tended to ignore anyone who wasn't a powerful ninja and even the ones who were powerful, he rarely acknowledged with more than a nod of his head or a few words. Team Seven and Taka were the main exception to that rule.

"Uchiha. Come with me. You look like a man who could use a drink." Gaara says.

The raven haired man was pretty sure that he was currently gaping at Gaara like a fish. He couldn't believe it. The Kazekage wanted to go drinking with him. Pigs really did fly, it seemed.

"I can't argue with the accuracy of that statement. Alright. Are you sure that you can go though? Won't you be missed?" Sasuke replies.

"I think that the lionshare's of the attention will be on the happy couple. Besides, I feel as though I have more than fulfilled my social obligations for the evening. You're fortunate not to be a Kage. It's a requirement to make unnecessary small talk with many people in order to be a successful one." He confides in him.

Despite himself, Sasuke felt his lips twitch upwards. He was certain that his expression was caught somewhere between a smile and a smirk. The last Uchiha didn't care though. That was the closest that he had come to a real smile in a long time.

"What you're really saying is that you are using me as an excuse to leave the party early because you're tired of their babbling." Sasuke says.

"Yes, I suppose that one could look at it that way." The red head lies with ease.

Fortunately, Sasuke didn't seem aware of his White Lie. This was a fact that Gaara was very grateful for. In truth, he was never going to be the sort of man that thrived in these sorts of situations.

After the demon was removed, Gaara realized something about himself early on. He was a natural introvert. It wasn't that he didn't like people. He just prefered the company of a few close friends to a crowded room such as this.

"In that case, it would be rather rude of me to refuse your offer. That and I wouldn't want to cause an international incident because you felt that I slighted you." The Uchiha says with mock somberness.

"Indeed. That would be a most unfortunate occurrence, especially since after the war when everyone is getting along so well." The Kage agrees.

Sasuke smirks and walks off with Gaara. He was probably right. Everyone was focused on Naruto and Hinata.

Why wouldn't they be? The savior of the Ninja World was getting married to the Hyuga Princess. In everyone's eyes, they were the perfect couple and something straight out of a fairytale.

"I'm afraid that I'm not entirely familiar with where the various establishments that sell alcohol are in this village." The red head admits.

"You really can't just say bar, can you?" Sasuke asks in amusement.

"I could say it, but it lacks a certain finesse." The Sand Villager replies with a shrug.

The raven haired ninja just shakes his head. He imagined that it was probably another part of being a Kage. A Kage's image was everything. Clearly, the red head actually took his job more seriously than some of his colleagues.

"There are a few of them, but none of them have anything really worth drinking. We can go back to my place. I have plenty. It'll be good not to drink alone for once." Sasuke says as he offers Gaara his hand.

The other ninja takes it. With that, they soon teleport off. A few minutes later, they emerge from a swirl of flames and into what the Kazekage assumed was a living room.

"How do you like it?" Sasuke asks.

 _Hard and fast, like a good fight. That sounds interesting. Though there might be something to be said for a more sensual and affectionate pace as well,_ Gaara thinks to himself. Immediately, he slaps himself for such thoughts. He knew exactly what Sasuke meant. He was asking how he liked his alcohol.

"Just whatever you have laying around is fine. I'm not picky. Wine, sake, or rum are all acceptable choices to me." The red head replies.

"Alright. I'll see what I have." Sasuke says as he heads off.

Gaara was almost positive that the last Uchiha was heading towards his kitchen. He might not have said it, but it was implied that he was supposed to wait in the living room. So that was exactly what he did.

He takes a moment to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. Every ninja worth their salt would do the same. While it didn't seem likely that anyone would attack them in the heart of the Uchiha District, it never hurt to be prepared.

"It looks so ordinary." He murmurs to himself.

The couch was a large gray one. It was rather soft, but not unusual in any other way. The walls a russet color and the rug had the same colors as the Uchiha Clan's symbol. There was an oak coffee table in front of him and a television. Perhaps most amusingly of all, there was a fireplace. Well the Uchihas were known as a Fire Clan for good reason, it seemed.

"I got the sake." Sasuke says, a few minutes later as he heads back towards Gaara.

"Sake sounds good." The red head replies as he watches Sasuke set two glasses on the table and proceed to fill them.

Gaara wasn't sure how Sasuke did it. Somehow he made even the mundane act of pouring a glass of sake look positively ethereal. There was just something hypnotic about the way he moved. It reminded Gaara of the leopards that he had occasionally seen back home.

"You're so easy to please." Sasuke says as he takes a seat on the couch and downs his first glass in one go.

"I don't believe in making things more complicated than they have to be. Uchiha, you should pace yourself. You are going to get heavily intoxicated in very short order, if you are going to drink like that." The Kazekage informs him.

"It takes a lot to get me intoxicated. Believe me, I've been exposed to almost everything from poisons to liquor. My time at the Sound was good for building up a high tolerance to almost everything, if nothing else. I can handle it. Thanks for your concern though." Sasuke mutters with a shrug.

The Kazekage found himself rather fascinated at the prospect of learning more about the Uchiha's time at the Sound, but he refrained from asking about it. From what he had gathered, it was generally an unpleasant topic for the other man. Gaara couldn't blame him. Orochimaru had always made him feel unease and that was certainly saying something. Gaara certainly didn't scare easily.

"I'm not very good at lending comfort and offering solace. I did notice that you were upset at the celebration. I'm told that it sometimes helps to talk about it." He offers.

"I've never really been good at talking about things. I'm better at communicating with my fists. You're Kazekage. I don't want to accidentally start a war. If I roughed up the Kazekage and people didn't understand that we were just training, it would end badly." The raven haired man admits.

That was progress. Gaara certainly hadn't expected the other man to admit that he was upset. Damn. He must truly be devastated.

"That's alright. Eloquence isn't a requirement here. I know you have the vocabulary, you just aren't used to having someone who is actually willing to listen to you articulate your feelings. That's all." He replies.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He had no idea why Gaara was being _nice_ to him. Maybe it was because he was Naruto's friend. The red head and blonde were basically attached at the hip, whenever the Kazekage visited. He decides that that must be it and to just go with it.

"He's right when he calls me a bastard. I should be happy for him. Naruto is going to get everything that he ever wanted. He's going to become Hokage. He's going to have a family. He found love and has friends. I shouldn't begrudge him that. It's just that…forget it." He mutters.

"You're in love with him and it's painful for you to see him with someone else. That's understandable. Don't worry. It isn't obvious to anyone who doesn't know you well and isn't looking." The Kazekage assures him.

Sasuke didn't really know how to handle that. On one hand, he was glad that it didn't seem likely anyone else had noticed. On the other hand, Gaara was implying that he knew him better than the Uchiha was entirely comfortable with.

"And what makes you think that you know me that well?" He asks.

"Your eyes. You hide it well for the most part, but every so often you slip. They are very expressive. I've seen that look you were giving Naruto while he was with Hinata and they were announcing their wedding date. I've had it myself." The red head admits.

The Uchiha was suddenly very glad that he had been sitting. Was Gaara implying that he had been the victim of unrequited love as well? It sure sounded like it.

"Who?" Sasuke asks simply.

"Oh it's not like that. I used to give that look when I saw other people with their loving parents or their friends. It's the look that only someone who has known true loneliness can give. Both of sadness, longing, and envy. Your eyes don't hold only darkness anymore, but they do hold a lot of pain." He says as he sips his own drink.

The Kazekage was grateful for an excuse not to talk further. He knew that he was certainly taking a gamble by saying even that much. The Uchiha had a habit of running away or pushing away from anyone who offered to help him.

"You're right. I don't like that you are right, but you are. It's just hard seeing them together." He confesses.

"Have you told Naruto how you felt?" The other man asks.

"Of course not. I doubt that Naruto is even aware of the possibility that two men can be together like a man and a woman can. Even if he was, he doesn't love me that way. He loves me like a brother. He'd die for me, but he'd never be my lover. It would only make things awkward between us. I don't have many friends and that's my own doing, but I won't lose his friendship over this." The Leaf Villager says.

Gaara couldn't exactly argue with Sasuke's logic. He had thought the same thing himself. Though he was surprised that the Uchiha was apparently willing to play the part of the martyr.

"That's very mature of you." He says.

"Thank you. Speaking of mature, I didn't expect that you'd be this accepting about this sort of thing. The idea of two men being together, I mean. Actually, I didn't think that the topic of romantic relationships would have interested you at all." He muses.

"The Leaf is different than the Sand in some respects. Mostly in cultural ones. In my village, while such relationships are certainly in the minority, most don't object to them. Life in the desert has a tradition of being short and brutal. It's important to cling to whatever happiness that one finds in his life. Gender to most of us is completely irrelevant." He says.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers the Kazekage's answer. Well that was certainly interesting. In a strange way, it made perfect sense.

"Good to know. Here it's not something that's in the open. It's the worst kept secret of the Leaf Village really. Many men take men to their beds on missions and the same is for women. It's just generally this is for comfort and when it is romantic, they aren't open about such relationships. It's tolerated, but not spoken about." Sasuke replies.

"I figured that was the case. I know that it's presumptuous, but you'll never be happy in the Leaf. You are living in the District where your entire family was killed. The man you love is marrying someone else. This village will never truly give you a chance to prove that you have pulled yourself out of the Darkness. You can either suffer in silence or move on." Gaara reasons.

The Uchiha sighs. Damn him. He wanted to deny it, but it was the truth. Sasuke could only look forward to a future that involved seeing Naruto with Hinata and probably marrying some woman that he didn't love. He'd be lucky, if he could even tolerate his future wife. It was a disaster in the making.

"I just got back from my Journey of Redemption. It would crush Naruto, if I left again." He argues.

"It depends on where you were going. If he knew that you were going somewhere that will make you happier and that he would still be able to see you, I think he'd accept your decision. He wouldn't be happy about it, but he'd accept it." The red head says as he takes another sip from his drink.

"You sound like you have a suggestion in mind." Sasuke says.

Gaara nods. He had to frame this precisely. If he didn't, the Uchiha might never speak to him again.

"You could move to the Sand Village. I won't lie. There will be villagers who look at you with a combination of awe and terror, but it will be better for you than this place is. Your previous mistakes did not impact them as personally as they did Leaf Villagers. You would potentially have the chance to start over." The Kazekage explains.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. He never would have thought that Gaara would be that crazy. Why would he offer him a place in his village? Obviously, he was going to waste a large amount of the political capital he had gained from his heroism during the war on defending him. It didn't make any sense.

"I think that I need some time to think about your offer. Transferring isn't something that should be considered lightly." The Uchiha cautiously responds.

"Of course. That's perfectly understandable. Do think about it though. I think that you could be happier in the Sand than in the Leaf. I'm going to be staying until after the wedding. It'd be preferable, if you made your decision by then." The other man says.

"Understood. I'll think about it. Thank you." Sasuke whispers.

Gaara nods as he heads off. He figured that their discussion was over for the moment. It had gone better than he had ever expected it would.

He wasn't certain what Sasuke would do, but he had made the offer. Now all he could do was wait. The red head knew that if he pushed the other man too hard, Sasuke would balk. Right now, he needed his space. So that was exactly what he was going to do.

"There you are, Gaara! I was wondering where you disappeared to." Naruto says a few minutes later as the red head was on his way back to his hotel.

"I went out for a drink and lost track of time. My apologies." He says, offering his friend a smile.

"Oh. Yeah. That happens sometimes. Who were you drinking with or were you just going out alone? It's not much fun to drink alone. Pervy Sage taught me that." The blonde informs him.

Gaara shakes his head in amusement. It would have been nice if Jirayia had taught the ninja a few other things. Though he probably should be grateful. If he had, there was a chance that Naruto might have returned Sasuke's feelings in time.

He knew that was a selfish thought, but it was one that he couldn't help. Damn. He probably should have drunk more sake before bumping into the other man again.

"I was drinking with the Uchiha. I believe he is having a difficult time readjusting to life in the Leaf." The Kazekage replies.

Naruto frowns. He had hoped that he was imagining it. Sasuke had gone on his Journey of Redemption and come back. He seemed less violent and a bit calmer, but there was still something about him that was just _sad._

The blonde had at first attributed it to Sasuke finding out the truth about Itachi. That was enough to depress anyone, but now he wasn't quite so sure. The fact that he didn't know what was going on in his teammate's mind disturbed him. It disturbed him greatly.

"Yeah. I was starting to wonder about that myself. Did he say anything specific to you or was that just the vibe that you were getting off him?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"It was more of a feeling than anything else, but he said enough to confirm the theory in my mind. If you have a few moments, I would like to talk to you about it." Gaara states.

"That'd probably be a good idea. I mean I want to help him, but he's just so hard to reach." He replies as he follows the red head back to his hotel room.

Gaara nods in sympathy. He knew the feeling. Once before, he had made an attempt to reach Sasuke and it hadn't ended well.

 _The Uchiha had attacked the Kage Summit and Gaara ended up facing off against him. The Kazekage had tried to reach him, but it wasn't working. Now they were locked in a battle._

 _"You're angry and you're alone. You reject the hand of everyone who tries to help you. You're lost in your own despair. You're exactly like how I was." He said._

 _"You know NOTHING of my pain! My pain, my fury, my despair, is more than you can imagine!" Sasuke told him as he unleashed another Fire Jutsu at the red head._

 _Gaara was able to dodge it, but he knew that this might not end well. There had to be a way to reach him. If Naruto could save him from his own darkness, then the Uchiha could be saved as well._

 _"When one lives in darkness, even a tiny ray of light should be easily noticeable." Came his reply._

 _"The answers that I seek can be found, only in Darkness!" The Uchiha countered._

 _That was when Gaara reared up his sand to defend himself. Sasuke's blade came within an inch of the red head's eye. That hadn't been an accident. Gaara was sure of it. On some level, Sasuke didn't want to kill him._

 _Despite what he told Naruto later on, that was the day that he began to have hope that maybe Sasuke wasn't completely lost. It was only a sliver of light, but it was still there. It was something._

Gaara closes the door behind them. He didn't know exactly how Naruto would react to what he was about to say, but he knew that he didn't want to be overheard. That much he was sure of.

"I know that you have tried Naruto. You saved him from the Darkness, but that doesn't mean that Sasuke's happy here. He lives in the rubble of the Uchiha District, where his house is the only one standing. Every single day, he's reminded of what he lost. The other villagers are afraid of him. The only thing keeping him here is his loyalty to you and Itachi. That and before now, he didn't really have any place else to go." Gaara begins cautiously.

Naruto blinks. He had never thought of it that way. He had always assumed that Sasuke was okay with living in the Uchiha District. The bastard had never said otherwise. It looked like that may not have been the case though.

"I guess that all makes sense. I want to help him though. Wait. What do you mean by that last part? Is he thinking about leaving again?" The blonde demands.

"I offered him a place in my village. You could still see him whenever you wished. I just think that a fresh start would do him good. I know that you care about him, but you are marrying Hinata. You're about to become Hokage and you'll likely have a family as well. No matter how much you may wish it were the case otherwise, there is only so much time that you are going to be able to spend with him realistically. Right now, you're his only anchor." The Kazekage continues.

Naruto winces. He hated to admit it, but Gaara was right. He hadn't thought of it like that before. He wanted to be Hokage and he loved Hinata, but Sasuke was his friend. If the bastard would be happier somewhere else, it wasn't right to keep him in the Leaf.

"I think I get where you're coming from. I don't like hearing it, but it's the truth. What'd he say when you offered him a place to stay?" The blue eyed ninja whispers.

"He said that he'd think about it. I know a large reason for his hesitation is because he doesn't want to hurt you. I think that you should talk about it with him." The Kage says.

Naruto sighs and nods. He was going to have to talk to Sasuke about this. Apparently, the sooner the better.

"I'll talk to him. He's my friend. I want him to be happy. If he's not happy here, maybe he'll be happier in the Sand." He says.

"Thank you, Naruto. He's lucky to have a friend like you." Gaara replies with a small smile.

"Damn right he is! Believe!" Naruto says with a grin.


	2. Chapter 2

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter is framed more from Sasuke's point of view. It is going to start off very dark, but gradually things will get better for him throughout this story.

Chapter 2

Sasuke sighs after Gaara leaves. He was alone again. Now that the Kazekage was gone, the Uchiha was alone again. Alone with his thoughts. That never ended well.

He knew himself well enough to realize that he wasn't the most social person. In general, he detested idle chatter. Sasuke loathed being alone even more though. That was when nothing was there to distract him from his thoughts. Not even Naruto's loudmouth.

"Maybe I should take the offer." He whispers as he heads outside and towards his family's burial grounds.

Gaara had brought up a lot of good points. No matter what he did, Sasuke was never truly going to be forgiven for all the sins that he had committed against this village. Naruto was possibly the only person on Earth, that could pretend that he hadn't done horrible things.

"What do you think, Itachi? The Kazekage has offered me a transfer to the Sand Village. Should I take it and try to start over? Naruto's forgiven me, but I doubt anyone else will. Not completely, anyway." He whispers as he traces his hand over the edge of his beloved brother's gravestone.

Most people weren't Naruto though. Most people didn't possess a nearly endless capacity to forgive people. Quite frankly, he wasn't really sure how the blonde managed to it.

The Jinchuuriki had every reason in the world to hate him, but he didn't. Not only had the blonde completely forgiven him, he wanted Sasuke to be the Best Man at his wedding. There were few more significant ways to show that you were best friends with someone than that.

"It would be selfish of me. Gaara would be paying for my mistakes, if I took him up on the offer." Sasuke continues.

Sasuke wasn't sure why he was talking to Itachi's grave. It wasn't like he actually expected his brother to answer him. He wasn't that far gone. He may have flirted with madness from time to time, but he had never actually tumbled over the edge into insanity.

"Though if I stay here, I might." He says with a sigh.

He wanted to be happy for Naruto. He really did. The blonde deserved to have his dreams come true. He deserved to become Hokage and to find love. Eventually, his former teammate would probably sire a couple of extremely loud, hyper children later down the line. The other man's future looked bright.

That wasn't the case for Sasuke though. There was nothing here for him besides the memory of his family and Naruto. Could he really spend decades in the Leaf, watching Naruto with his new family?

"I don't think I can do it, but it wouldn't be fair to Gaara. He had nothing to do with my sins. He shouldn't have to deal with the political fallout of my transfer." He whispers.

That's when Sasuke notices something on Itachi's grave. It was small and it was moving. The last Uchiha takes a closer look and realizes it was a cocoon. Slowly, something punched its way out of it. It was a butterfly.

"…" Sasuke couldn't help but stare as the butterfly flew around his Clan's Sacred Burial Grounds without a care in the world.

Was that some sort of sign? It had to be. Sasuke had never really put much stock in things like omens, but that had to be a good omen. That or he was just desperate for an excuse to leave the Leaf and a butterfly was as good as any.

 _"Your eyes don't hold only darkness anymore, but they do hold a lot of pain."_ Gaara's words echoed in his ears.

"Maybe, it's time that I changed that." He whispers to himself as he glides his hand over the gravestone again, seeking the comfort that it's cool texture brought him.

It was the closest that he could get to Itachi these days. Thinking quickly, Sasuke scoops up a flower from his brother's, father's, and mother's grave. He quickly binds them together with a thread from his belt and casts a minor Jutsu on them. The Jutsu would preserve the flowers for as long as he was alive.

"There this way I can take a piece of them with me." He says as he heads off to go find Gaara.

He wasn't sure how he was going to tell Naruto about all this. How could he possibly tell the blonde that he wanted to leave? Sasuke just knew that he had to. If he stayed in the Leaf, he would eventually die from a broken heart.

Someday, he hoped that he would learn how to be happy for his lovable, dumb blonde. His best friend was getting married to the woman he loved. Hinata would do something that Sasuke had never been able to do. She'd be able to make him happy, without hurting Naruto. That was what mattered most.

"If I keep repeating that long enough, eventually it will sink in." He muses as he continues his trek further into the village.

When he was a child, Sasuke didn't think much of the fact that the Uchihas had their own District. That was just the way it was. Now he saw it for what it was. A degree of physical separation from the rest of the village, that ended up transforming into an emotional one. The Uchiha District's very existence had sewn the seeds of his Clan's downfall.

"He's probably going to be at the hotel." He murmurs as he walks inside the building.

His Clan might have helped to found the Leaf, but they hadn't really been a part of it. On paper they were, but the reality of the matter was completely different. Obito had been right about that much.

It was only natural that his family would eventually strike back. Perhaps bloodshed had become unavoidable the day that the Uchiha District was built. He would never know for sure, but that was his theory.

"Can you tell me which room the Kazekage is staying in?" Sasuke asks the receptionist.

"I'm sorry. We aren't supposed to give out that type of information. There are privacy policies in place. I hope that you un-derstand." The receptionist stammers.

That's when Naruto and Gaara came walking down the stairs with each other. Sasuke felt disturbed at the uneasy feeling that bloomed in his stomach, when he saw them together. Jealousy.

The Uchiha couldn't understand why he was jealous of Naruto and Gaara. The blonde was getting married to Hinata, not the red head. Naruto didn't even like men. It didn't make any sense.

"Sasuke! There you are! I'm so glad to see you. I really need to talk to you. So does Gaara. Well I guess he kinda already did, but yeah!" Naruto greets him cheerfully.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. Gaara had TOLD Naruto?! The red head had gone behind his back and told the other man everything?!

"Yeah. We do need to talk. **All** three of us should talk. Do you have a few minutes to spare, Lord Kazekage?" Sasuke asks.

He couldn't help but feel betrayed. How could the Kazekage do that? He mentally slaps himself for such thoughts though.

Gaara didn't owe him anything. It wasn't like they were even friends. The other ninja had just done what any smart Kage would do and notified the other village of a potential transfer.

"Of course, I do and you don't need to be so formal." The red head replies.

It did gratify Sasuke on some level that the Kazekage had flinched when the Uchiha addressed him by his proper title. He knew that Gaara had just done the smart thing, by notifying Naruto of the potential transfer. That didn't mean that the Kage's actions didn't sting though.

"I might need to be, if I transfer. You could potentially be my Kage." Sasuke reminds him as they head back to Gaara's hotel room.

"Wow. Never really knew that you put much stock into the Kage thing, Sasuke. I mean you did attack the Kage Summit. Anyway, Gaara said that he offered you a chance to transfer." Naruto begins, once they were alone and had locked the door behind them.

Gaara performs a quick Jutsu to soundproof the room. The last thing that any of them needed was to be overheard. He was sure that the Uchiha would be relieved to have some privacy.

"That's right. He did. I didn't know that Gaara was going to go and tell you about his offer so soon. I was just about to find him to tell him that I accept. I don't want to hurt you, Naruto. You're my best friend, but I need a chance to start over. I can't find that here." Sasuke says.

Whatever he might think of Gaara's little stunt, he couldn't stay in the Leaf. Besides, the butterfly was still a good omen. There was a chance that he could be happy in the Sand Village. There was no chance that would happen in the Leaf. Sasuke had to go.

"I know. Gaara was pretty thorough about why he thought you might be better off transferring. I'll miss you, but he's right. You deserve to be happy. I wish that you could be happy here, but I understand." The blonde says.

Sasuke felt a weight lift off his chest. Naruto understood. If the blue eyed ninja had begged him to stay, he probably would have. He still loved Naruto. The fact that the Jinchuuriki only saw him as a friend, didn't change his feelings.

"Good. It's just hard here. Not everyone is as forgiving as you. We can still see each other. Whenever one of us goes to the Leaf or Sand. There are also letters. We can keep in touch that way." Sasuke says.

The words sounded lame to his own ears. Damn. He was pathetic. Letters? Seriously? As if that would ever replace seeing Naruto's beautiful blue eyes in person. What a cheap substitute.

"I think that it's settled then. When would you like to leave, Sasuke?" Gaara asks.

"After the wedding. I'm Naruto's Best Man, after all." The raven haired ninja reasons.

"Yeah, you are! Believe it! The wedding is going to be amazing. Sasuke, the cake is huge! Seriously, I think it's bigger than all three of us. Combined!" The ramen lover informs him excitedly.

Sasuke rolls his eyes good-naturedly. He was sure that it was a big cake. He had just never been that fond of sweets. That and he didn't understand how someone of Naruto's stature could get so excited about cake.

"I'm sure the cake is great. Naruto, Hinata is probably wondering where you are." Sasuke offers.

"Yeah. I'll see you guys later. I'm sure that you have lots to talk about." Naruto replies and Sasuke nods in agreement.

"We do. After all, he's going to be my Kage soon. That and I need to figure out where I'm going to stay in the Sand." The last Uchiha says with a smile.

It was forced. The raven haired man hoped that Naruto wouldn't notice though. God, he hoped that Naruto wouldn't notice.

"Alright. I'm sure that Gaara will get you set up someplace great! See you guys later!" Naruto bounds off.

"You're angry with me." Gaara says simply.

"You're more perceptive than Naruto is. Yes, I am. I didn't think that you would tell him. I didn't even tell you that I wanted the transfer!" Sasuke hisses at him.

The Uchiha definitely reminded him of one of the leopards, Gaara muses. He was hissing just like an angry cat. Magnificent in his fury, really. The red head just wished that it wasn't directed at him.

"I did it because I knew that you would say yes. That and I wanted to see something in your eyes besides pain. I'll take fury over sadness, any day." The Kazekage says unapologetically.

"Well you definitely got your wish." Sasuke mutters.

Gaara sighs. It wasn't going to be easy to shake the Uchiha out of his melancholy, but he would do it. One way or another, he would do it.

"Uchiha, you know what the proper procedure is for transfers. Surely, you can't hold the fact that I followed them against me." The other ninja reasons.

"I know. That's what makes it so annoying." He admits.

"That's progress. A few moments ago, you looked like you wanted to Chidori me." The Kazekage muses.

The thought had certainly crossed Sasuke's mind, but he couldn't do it. Not really. Gaara was just doing what was expected of any Kage to do in his position. That and the red head was offering him a chance at true salvation.

He clutches the flowers in his pocket tightly. If he was ever truly going to have a chance to start over, it wouldn't be in the Leaf. Maybe in the Sand, he could start over.

"I thought about it, but I can't. You've given me something very precious." Sasuke whispers.

"And what have I given you?" Gaara asks curiously.

"You gave me a second chance at life. I went on a Journey of Redemption. I don't feel that it was a successful journey. This time might be different. I could be happy. I can start over. I can restore Clan. Write a new chapter in our history. Hopefully, a happier one." The raven haired ninja says.

Gaara smiles. It was a start. Sasuke was allowing himself to have hope. That was an important step forward.

"Good. I'm glad that you feel that way." He says.

"And that's why I can't hit you. Just don't pull something like that again. I might not be so lenient next time." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"I'm trembling, Uchiha. Truly." Gaara replies dryly.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Well if nothing else, Gaara had certainly mastered sarcasm. He had admitted that much.

For some reason, Sasuke didn't feel like Gaara would use that against him. Oddly enough, it was the red head who had noticed his suffering. It hadn't been Naruto. He didn't know what to make of that fact.

"Sasuke, don't allow yourself to dwell on what you can't have." Gaara says.

"I'll try not to. You gave me the ray of light that I needed, but that doesn't change fact that I have a lot of packing to do." Sasuke retorts.

"Then I suppose you had better go do it. We won't be in the Leaf much longer. I'm not a Leaf Villager. I don't believe in babying my ninjas. If you aren't ready to leave when I am, I will leave you behind. It could be months before I come back and you get another chance to leave with me. If you enter the Sand Village without me, people will panic. I think in the interests of preventing that from happening, you should pack quickly." The Kazekage says.

Sasuke nods and teleports off in a swirl of flames. What more needed to be said really? Once more, he was grateful to Gaara. If anyone else had noticed that he was the victim of unrequited love, they would have at best taunted him and at worst looked at him with pity. Not Gaara though.

He might not know what it was like to love someone, who didn't love you back. The Kazekage was familiar with Darkness and loneliness though. He knew what to say and what not to say for the most part. Their hearts might not be singing the same lyrics, but the melody was the same.

"Were you even going to say goodbye, this time?" Sasuke hears a familiar voice call out to him once he emerges just outside the Uchiha District.

"I was going to say goodbye after the wedding. You know me. I hate drawn out goodbyes." He replies with a smirk, not even bothering to turn around to see who it was.

Sasuke knew who it was. It was Kakashi. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He supposed that the memory of Team Seven would always firmly be engrained into him, no matter where he went.

"Ah I suppose that makes sense. What are you going to say to Sakura? You've been kinder to her lately. I think she still holds out hope that perhaps you will love her." The silver haired man says.

"I've been kinder to her because I was cruel to her before. She didn't deserve it. I think you know why I don't return her feelings. Sakura doesn't need to know the reason." Sasuke murmurs.

Sasuke knew damn well that Kakashi was far more observant than his other two teammates. He knew. The last Uchiha was sure of it.

"Are you afraid that she would be disgusted that you prefer men? Well perhaps I should be more specific. You prefer Naruto over her. You always have." The CopyCat Ninja muses.

"You're right. I'm mildly curious at what point you figured that out. It seems that Sakura and Naruto never noticed. I knew that you would though." He says.

"I've probably known since before you did. I knew on the day that you ordered Sakura to feed Naruto, despite the rules. It was only reaffirmed during the fight against Haku and a thousand times since." He says.

"It's annoying. You're always right. You did know before I did. Are you going to try to talk me out of going?" Sasuke asks.

Kakashi shakes his head. He wasn't going to try to talk Sasuke out of it. There was no point. The man had clearly made up his mind.

"No. I am inclined to agree with Gaara. This may turn out to be a good thing for you. I'll help you pack. I can't deny that I feel like in certain ways that I failed you." Kakashi admits as they head towards Sasuke's house.

"I have no idea why you would feel that way. It wasn't your fault what happened. You had nothing to do with the Massacre. You weren't a bad teacher. I would have left, no matter who they assigned me to. I was blinded by hatred." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"And now you are blinded by something else entirely." The other ninja says as he opens the door for his comrade.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Kakashi often spoke a bit cryptically. He knew as an adult all his excuses for being late were lies. He had just been visiting someone's graves. Who knew what the older man was really trying to say?

"If you have something to say, say it. I won't be here that much longer and you might not get another chance for a long time. Do you want anything? Sake, wine, or tea?" The last Uchiha asks.

"No, thank you. I don't need a drink. Alright. I'll be blunt. I think the Kazekage may have more reasons for extending that transfer offer than he is letting on." He says.

The last Uchiha didn't know how to respond to that. Kakashi wasn't necessarily saying that Gaara had malicious reasons, but that was the implication. He felt himself bristle at the implication.

"And why do you think Gaara is inviting me to live in the Sand? Don't hold your tongue, now Kakashi. Things are just starting to get interesting." Sasuke says in a mocking tone.

Kakashi sighs. He knew that Sasuke was going to get the wrong idea. He didn't want to tell Sasuke about his entire theory. That would just make the other man close himself off immediately.

"I'm just saying that I believe he had more personal reasons to grant you citizenship than he's letting on." The masked ninja replies.

"Do you think that he's doing it because he hopes that I'll end up restoring my Clan. It would give the Sand Village a powerful bloodline. Gaara's smart. He might be doing it for strategic reasons. There would certainly be a lot of prestige in it for him, if he brought a new bloodline to his village." Sasuke asks.

He wouldn't blame Gaara, if that was what was motivating him. Sasuke also wouldn't really care. He might very well have done the same thing, if their roles had been reversed.

"I'm certain that does play a role in his decision. I highly doubt that is all of it or the main reason though." The other man replies.

"I tire of your games. I'm not in any mood for riddles." Sasuke mutters in disgust as he quickly begins packing.

Personal reasons? Gaara didn't really have any personal reasons to invite him. It wasn't like they were friends.

Was it possible that the other ninja was just placing himself in Sauske's sandals? Their histories did share certain similarities. Their beginnings were shaped by events outside their control. In Gaara's case, a demon was placed into him before he was even born. For Sasuke, it was his family's slaughter. That had thrown both of them into Darkness for a long time and Naruto had played a large role in saving both of them. Yes, there were similarities.

"I know that you aren't the most patient person. Perhaps the Sand will be good for you. You might learn to be more patient there. One has to be very patient in a desert. There are only so many hours in the day, where the Sun won't knock you on your ass." Kakashi says with a chuckle.

 _"Identify yourselves! Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Sasuke asked three strangers at the entrance of the Leaf Village._

 _"We're ninjas from the Sand Village. We're here for the Chunin Exams." The one in black with makeup on his face told Sasuke as he showed him some official looking papers._

 _Sasuke tried to hide his surprise. Sakura and Naruto weren't able to though. He just nodded an affirmative until the three of them started to walk off. What came out of his mouth next, just slipped out without him planning to say it._

 _"You there. What's your name?" Sasuke asked the red head._

 _"Who me?" She asked with a slight giggle._

 _Sasuke tried not to roll his eyes. Apparently, girls were the same. It didn't really matter what village they were from or how old they were. Annoying._

 _"No. Not you. The one with the gourd on his back." He clarified._

 _"I'm Gaara. Gaara of the Desert. I'm curious about you as well." The red head replied in a raspy voice._

 _There was something in that voice that made Sasuke get goosebumps. He wasn't sure what it was exactly. It was just so predatory._

 _"Hey! Isn't anyone going to ask my name?!" Naruto asked._

 _Sasuke wasn't in the mood for Naruto's antics at that point. He just ignored his teammate. Back then, the last Uchiha hadn't realized his feelings for the blonde. It was easy to ignore him, when someone was looking at him in the same way a cat might a mouse._

 _"You're eyes are like mine. Filled with hatred and the need to prove your existence. My existence is stronger than yours. I'll look forward to killing you." He said as he walked off._

 _Sasuke's eyes widened. The other ninja meant it. He had looked death in the face twice. Once with Itachi and once with Haku. In both cases, neither had wanted to kill him for one reason or another. Gaara was different though._

 _Gaara was the first person to make it personal. He didn't doubt for a second that he meant it. Sasuke didn't know what to do about it though._

"Kakashi, spit it out." Sasuke growls at his mentor.

"I think that Gaara is interested in becoming closer than you. He wants to become your friend. I think that he saw what Naruto was able to do for him and he wants to do that for you, in his own way. You have to learn to open your heart to people again, Sasuke. I know that things didn't work out the way you wanted with Naruto, but you don't have to be alone." The CopyCat Ninja says.

"You think that Gaara wants to be _**FRIENDS**_ with me?" The raven haired ninja asks in disbelief.

"I do believe that he wants to become closer with you, yes. Give him a chance. That's really all that I wanted to say." Kakashi says as he helps him pack.

"I'll think about it. Mostly, I just think you are crazy though." Sasuke mutters.

Kakashi chuckles. Sasuke had the same look upon his face that a child might when they thought an adult was trying to trick them. Sasuke didn't show emotions other than anger, annoyance, pride, or boredom often. When he did though, his face could be comically expressive.

That was probably why he had always made it a habit to try to goad the young man whenever possible. The results were often most amusing. It was one of Kakashi's favorite guilty pleasures, really.

"We're all a little crazy. It's not a matter of if we are crazy, but to what degree we are crazy." He replies.

"I guess that's true. If he wants to be friends, I'll give him a chance. The man is putting his neck out on the line for me. He didn't have to take on this much grief to give me a chance to start over. I imagine this is going to cause a political firestorm." Sasuke mutters.

"That it most certainly is. Remember that, once you are in the Sand Village." The silver haired ninja says.

It was ironic, Kakashi muses to himself. No matter how powerful the Rookies and Sand Siblings might be, they were still barely more than teenagers. If there was one thing that he had learned about teenagers, it was that love triangles were a given.

The most current and potentially explosive one involved Naruto, the Kazekage, and Sasuke. Sasuke was in love with an oblivious Naruto and Gaara was in love with an oblivious Uchiha. It was both comical and frightening at the same time.

"Don't worry. I will. Do you think that Sakura is going to cry when I tell her that I'm leaving?" Sasuke asks.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't ask me questions that you already know the answers to. Of course, she's going to cry." Kakashi informs him as he sneakily slips a certain orange book into one of Sasuke's traveling bags.

"Damn. Well it was worth a shot. That's one of the nice things about preferring men. They don't cry a lot." Sasuke mutters and Kakashi just laughs.

Kakashi could only hope that somehow this would work out. At least Gaara was in love with an oblivious person who also liked men. So he was more lucky than Sasuke in that way.

"That's not always the case. Gai is likely to bawl his eyes out at the ceremony. He always cries at weddings." The other ninja whispers.

"Well Gai is Gai. He's not normal. That's not a fair comparison." Sasuke argues.

"Gai certainly marches to the beat of his own drummer. There is something that you should remember, Sasuke. Being normal is vastly overrated. Personally, I'd rather be abnormal and happy, than normal and sad. _"_ The other Leaf Ninja shares.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers this. After a moment, he nods his head in agreement. Kakashi had a point.

"I'll keep that in mind. Make sure to bring a lot of tissues and some earplugs. I really don't want to listen to a grown man cry for a couple hours and he's going to need the tissues." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Oh don't worry. I'll be sure to do that. Sasuke, I mean it. I hope that you find happiness in the Sand." Kakashi says.

"Thank you, Kakashi. I mean it as well." Sasuke says with a smile as he closes his suitcase.

In a few short days, he would be leaving. He'd be leaving the Leaf and moving to the Sand. He could scarcely believe it, but it was true. Sasuke decides at that moment that he had been given a second chance. He wasn't going to waste it.


	3. Chapter 3

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 3

Two days later, Sasuke found himself being dragged into a Men's Clothing Store. Naruto needed a formal wedding kimono. As the Best Man, that meant that the last Uchiha was forced to go shopping with the man he loved.

Gaara goes with them. He did this for two reasons. The first was that Naruto was his friend. He wanted to be involved in his friend's wedding. The second was because he knew that this was going to be a very rough day for Sasuke.

"No, loser. You are NOT wearing an orange kimono to your wedding. I can't believe that you would even ask that!" Sasuke snaps at him in a exasperated voice.

The red head knew what was really going on though. Sasuke was trying desperately to fall back into their traditional bickering banter. Apparently, Naruto couldn't tell that the Uchiha was "faking it."

"What's wrong with orange? You really need to get over your hatred of orange. It's an awesome color. Gaara, tell this bastard what an awesome color orange is!" Naruto demands.

"It's as good a color as any other, really. I have red hair though. Obviously, I would never wear orange. It would clash horribly." The Kazekage offers with a shrug.

Naruto grumbles. Clearly, he was less than pleased by Gaara's diplomatic answer. Fortunately, Naruto was Naruto. He never stayed mad for long and was soon distracted by the task at hand.

"Black would be better. It brings out your eyes." Sasuke says.

"Black is for funerals! Besides, I'd look like a bumblebee!" Naruto protests and makes a face.

Gaara just shakes his head. God only knows, what the Uchiha's response to THAT was going to be. If he knew the Uchiha, Sasuke was preparing to issue a scathing retort.

"Well then it's appropriate. Hinata used to be a wallflower and you're supposedly going to pollinate her on your Honeymoon. Well that's assuming that she can find a way to explain kunais and pouches to you!" Sasuke half yells at Naruto.

"Pft! You are just mad because I'm actually going to go on a Honeymoon. Maybe if you were a little nicer to people, you could go on one too! And I don't need her to explain anything! Did you forget that I was taught by Kakashi AND Pervy Sage?! He made me read all his novels!" The blonde grumbles.

Gaara winces. Uh oh. This wouldn't end well. He needed to get the Uchiha out of there before this turned into another Great Ninja War.

"Naruto, why don't you try on the orange and black one? That way we can all have a look at both. There are three of us. I'll be the tiebreaker." He suggests.

"Good idea!" Naruto says as he grabs the kimonos and heads into the changing stall.

Once Naruto was out of sight, Sasuke's mask slipped. It was clear the Honeymoon comment had hurt him. Badly. Damn it.

Gaara knew Naruto. He knew that the other ninja would never intentionally be cruel to a friend, but that didn't matter. What mattered is that he had been. He didn't know if Sasuke was more likely to punch Naruto or storm off to hide in his pain. Both options were disastrous.

"Uchiha, you know that he didn't mean it the way it sounded." Gaara offers.

"I know. It's fine though. I don't need a Honeymoon." He half whispers.

The Kazekage sighs. He wanted to embrace Sasuke and to offer him some sort of comfort. He knew better than to actually act on this impulse though. That was the fastest way to an early death that he knew of.

"I know that. We both know that it isn't just about at Honeymoon. If you can't handle this, I can make up an excuse for you to leave. You don't have to put yourself through this." Gaara offers.

"The day that I can't handle Naruto's stupidity, is the day that I'm six feet under. Thanks, but I'll manage. I always do." Sasuke mutters.

 _Damn his pride,_ Gaara thinks to himself. He really wished that the Uchiha would take him up on his offer. The red head didn't expect that Sasuke would ever look at him the way that he looked at Naruto, but he wished that the raven haired ninja would at least accept his help.

"Life is about more than just managing, Uchiha." He counters.

"I know that. It's a start though. You're right. He didn't mean it the way that it sounded and I know that. Besides, I'll be gone in a few days. It'll get easier then." He says as Naruto walks out of the changing stall.

He was wearing the orange kimono. Sasuke had managed to hide his pain, by replacing it with annoyance. The last Uchiha smacks his forehead in frustration.

"Gaara, will you tell him that he can't wear that eyesore to his wedding?" He mutters.

"Oh come on! It looks great on me!" Naruto says proudly and the Uchiha doesn't bother to hide the fact that he was rolling his eyes at the blonde's antics.

The Kazekage raises an eyebrow. He couldn't believe that he was reduced to this. A Kage was now an unpaid stylist. Not that there was anything wrong with being a stylist, but he was a ninja! He should be out doing ninja things. Not debating over which color fabric was superior.

"It does look nice on you, but I would like to see the black version. I'm not entirely certain that orange is appropriate for a wedding. In the end, it's your decision." Gaara answers him.

"Alright. Alright. I'll go try on the black one." Naruto says as he dashes back into the changing stall.

"I suppose it's a good thing that I'm not going to marry him. If he had worn that to our wedding, I would have killed him." Sasuke seethes.

The red head mentally braces himself. That hurt. Sasuke would have married Naruto, if he could have.

The Uchiha was moving to the Sand, but that wasn't what he truly wanted. If Sasuke had his way, Naruto and him would be planning for THEIR big day. Gaara didn't know what to say to that.

"That's the spirit, Uchiha. Look on the bright side of things." The Kazekage replies.

"Lord Kazekage, you are possibly the biggest sarcastic asshole that I have ever met." Sasuke informs him.

"I'm flattered. Sadly, I must disagree. I do not believe that anyone will ever steal that honor from you. You shouldn't underestimate your abilities in such a manner." The other man replies.

Gaara was relieved when he saw the Uchiha smirk. That was better. That was the Sasuke that he remembered from the Chunin Exams. That was the man that he had fallen in love with.

"Not bad." Sasuke tells him with that same smirk that made the red head's heart skip a beat or two.

"Alright! What do you guys think?" Naruto asks as he bounds over to them.

Gaara tilts his head to the side. Well it was certainly better than the orange in his view, but Naruto had a point. It did seem a bit too somber for the blonde's wedding. Hmm.

"That's much better." Sasuke says smugly.

"It is better, but I think that we might want to try something else. Here. Try this one." Gaara says as he hands Naruto a midnight blue kimono.

Naruto grumbles about picky bastards and rushes back into the stall. Gaara shakes his head in amusement. He loved Naruto like a brother, but sometimes the man still acted like a Genin.

"You are SUCH a politician." Sasuke taunts him.

"Well yes, I am. All Kages are. Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" The red head demands.

"You can't even just tell him that the orange would be a disaster at his wedding. You have to sugarcoat it. I thought you didn't believe in babying people." The Uchiha elaborates.

Gaara raises an eyebrow. It looked like his future subordinate wanted to play rough. Fine. Two could play that game.

"I said that I didn't believe in babying MY villagers. Naruto is a Leaf Villager. It's alright to baby him." The red head defends himself.

"Fair point. You win on a technicality. Typical politician." Sasuke taunts him.

Gaara was about to respond to that when Naruto came out again. He smiles. Ah yes. That was much better.

"What about this one?" Naruto asks as he does a twirl.

"It'll work. I'd get it. Thanks, Gaara. At least you managed to keep the idiot from wearing orange to his own wedding." Sasuke says.

"It looks quite nice on you. I really would get it. Ignore the Uchiha's baiting." The Kazekage replies.

Naruto nods. He smiles and heads off to pay for his new wedding kimono. It didn't' take long for Naruto to bid them goodnight and for them all to go there separate ways.

Sasuke was heading back to the Uchiha District when a saw a group of children playing some sort of game on the street. They had a ball and there didn't really seem to be any firm rules. He smiles at the sight though.

"CATCH!" One of the children calls out.

Had he ever really been THAT innocent? Maybe he had. He just barely remembered. Before the Massacre, he had mostly stuck to his own Clan. His Clan didn't play some informal version of soccer for entertainment.

It taught children how to breathe fire and use kunais. While that was obviously more practical, he couldn't help but feel like he had missed out on something important while he watched them play.

"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!" Another says as he races towards the ball, but he ended up bumping into Sasuke.

"Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" The sandy blonde boy apologizes and then his eyes widen when he realized who had just bumped into.

Sasuke sighs as he realizes that Gaara was right. No matter what he did in this village, he was never truly going to belong here. The Leaf's children were even scared of him and for good reason.

"It's alright. Here." He says as he hands the child the ball.

The boy stammers out a thank you and rushes off back towards his friend. Sasuke notices that he was definitely trembling. That child was terrified of him.

"Fuck it." He mutters under his breathe was he teleports back to his home.

Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Gaara was watching from the balcony of his hotel room. He had seen all of it. The Uchiha had been walking home and some kid had bumped into him. The child was terrified and clearly, Sasuke had realized it. This didn't bode well.

"Damn it." Gaara whispers as he teleports back to the Uchiha District.

"Gaara, what the Hell are you doing here?!" Sasuke asks a few minutes later.

"I saw what happened and I wanted to make sure that you were alright. They're just children, Sasuke. They don't know any better. You shouldn't take it to heart." He says.

Sasuke sighs. He knew that Gaara was right. It still hurt though and it was humiliating that the red head had noticed.

"That's the thing though. They're absolutely right to be scared of me. They'd be stupid not to be." Sasuke says as he pours himself some more sake.

Gaara snatches the glass out of Sasuke's hands. Oh no. He could see where this was going. He wasn't going to allow the Uchiha to always drown his sorrows with alcohol. That was not healthy.

Sure it was fine to do so from time to time. It just wasn't fine to make a habit of it. There were three things that could take down even the most powerful male ninja. They were women, alcohol, and gambling.

"Sasuke, remember the Terrifying Three." The red head reminds him gently.

"Really, Gaara? You aren't going to allow me to drink in my own home?" Sasuke snaps at him.

"I won't stop you from drinking in your own home, provided that you aren't planning on drinking yourself to death or something equally ridiculous. I know that such incidents cut deeply. The other children used to look at me in the exact same way that those children were looking at you. It doesn't make you weak because it hurt your feelings. It just makes you human." The Kazekage says.

The last Uchiha gives Gaara his best Death Glare. He frowns after a few moments when he realizes that it was frustratingly ineffective. Damn. Could nothing go his way?

"Uchiha, that won't work on me. You nearly cut my eye out once. Glaring at me isn't nearly as frightening. Come. We are alone here. We can train in your District. No one will know as long as we don't flare our chakra too much." Gaara says.

Sasuke blinks. Gaara wanted to train with him? Whatever he had been expecting the red head to say about his glaring, that hadn't been it.

"You actually train? I thought your sand just responded to your will." The raven haired ninja replies in confusion.

"It does, but I do train. There is always the chance that an opponent might drain my chakra and I wouldn't be able to use my sand or something. Besides, it's a good way to vent one's frustrations. Isn't that what you told, Naruto? That two skilled ninjas can understand each other, just by exchanging blows?" He asks.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. He wasn't entirely sure if Gaara had just been asking an innocent question or if he was deliberately taking a subtle shot. It disturbed him that on some level the red head was able to read him so well and that he couldn't do the same.

"You know what? Training sounds like an excellent idea. I just hope that you aren't a sore loser. I wouldn't want you to retract your citizenship offer, when I kick your ass." He replies.

"Uchiha, I'm not a child. I wouldn't do that and it doesn't matter. You aren't going to get the upper hand this time." Gaara informs him.

"Alright. Just remember, you asked for this." Sasuke says as he heads out of the house and has Gaara follow him to the streets.

He sighs as he glances around his District. It was mostly rubble. The only house left standing was his and that was only because Naruto had it restored for him.

 _"Well bastard, it's good to have you back! I have a surprise for you!" Naruto said happily._

 _Sasuke raised an eyebrow. God only knows, what the blonde had done this time. He shook his head in amusement and decided to go with it._

 _"Let me guess. You're treating me to all the ramen that I can eat?" He asked dryly._

 _"Nope! It's not nearly as awesome as that! Come on! You'll like it! I promise!" The other ninja said as he grabbed Sasuke's hand and dragged him to the Uchiha District._

 _Sasuke looked around curiously. Why did Naruto take him back to a destroyed District? His question was soon answered when he saw that it wasn't completely destroyed. There was a single house standing._

 _It was his house. Somehow it was completely untouched by all the devastation that had destroyed the other houses. He didn't think that was a coincidence._

 _"You had my house restored?" Sasuke asked in shock._

 _"Yeah! I tried to keep it as much like the original as possible. I would have had the others fixed, but there just wasn't enough time. I'm sure that in time, we'll get it all fixed up! It'll be good as new! Believe it!" The blonde exclaimed cheerfully._

 _Sasuke smiled for the first time in a long time. Naruto had restored his home. He had done that for HIM. The other ninja didn't have to do that. Maybe he did return his feelings, after all._

 _"Yeah. Someday, it'll be as good as new." Sasuke whispered._

 _Naruto didn't know it, but Sasuke wasn't just talking about the District. He had been talking about himself. For just a few minutes, he allowed himself to hope that maybe his love wasn't one-sided._

 _That had all been crushed when Hinata walked into the District. She smiled and kissed Naruto's cheek. The Hyuga Princess greeted him politely and even offered him a shy smile._

 _"We're really happy that you're back." She said._

 _"Thank you, Hinata." Sasuke told her and he forced a smile._

 _Just like that, he witnessed all his hope go up in smoke. Of course, Naruto didn't love him. Well not like that anyway._

 _Why would he? He had the pretty little Hyuga Princess. Naruto had someone who loved him unconditionally and who had never caused him any pain. Why would he love the person who had hurt him more than anyone else?_

"I'll remember. I assume that neither of us is going to go all out? Nothing more flashy than a Chidori. We don't want the ANBU to come and investigate what is going on." He reasons.

"Yeah. Good point. We'll keep the flashy tricks to a minimum. Let's see what you got. We never did get to finish either of our fights." Sasuke points out.

"I know. I've been waiting for this for awhile. It's a rare ninja who wants to fight a Kage." Gaara says as he sends a sand spear flying at the toher man.

As expected, Sasuke does a back flip and easily evades it. Gaara had expected that much. He just wanted to give the Uchiha an easy opening attack to evade. It would make him feel more in control.

"I'm not most people. FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" Sasuke says as he counters with a massive fireball.

"Pretty, but easily countered." Gaara informs him as he raises up a sound wall to block the fireballs.

"Did you really just call my attack pretty?!" Sasuke demands in disbelief.

Gaara shrugs. It was to him. Sasuke was very much like his natural fire affinity. Beautiful and dangerous. Most people associated fire with destruction, but he knew better. It could also provide light, heat, and be a very sensual element. Well it wanted to be.

He had always been told never to play with fire, but Gaara had always thought that was stupid. There was no reason to be afraid of fire. You just had to know how to handle it.

"Yes, I believe that I did. Why do you disagree with the accuracy of the adjective?" The red head asks.

"That's it!" The Uchiha snarls as he forms some clones.

Some clones attacked from the front. Others lunged at him from behind. Finally, there were sneak attack clones that were ambushing him from the side.

"Let's see if you think it's so _pretty_ now!" Sasuke says with a smirk.

 _Actually, I'm pretty sure that an army of Uchihas is probably the start of many people's fantasies. Is this really supposed to be a punishment,_ Gaara asks himself as he forms a ball out of sand to protect himself from the onslaught.

"There's a reason that it's called the Ultimate Defense." Gaara says.

"I guess Nearly Ultimate Defense just doesn't sound as good. CHIDORI!" Sasuke yells as he slams his lightning attack in the Sand Dome, cracking it.

"Not really. It did what it was intended to do, just not in a way that you expected." Gaara whispers in his ear and that's when the Gaara in the Sand Dome dissolves into a pile of sand.

Sasuke mentally curses. He should have seen that one coming. It was the oldest trick in the book.

"Not bad, but not good enough. Let's see how fast your sand can really react. I know one thing for sure. You aren't nearly as good at close combat as I am." Sasuke says as he whirls around and goes to punch Gaara.

The red head catches the punch. While he preferred his Sand, there were some benefits to wearing a giant gourd on your back every day since you were a child, that weighed hundreds of pounds. It had the tendency to built up your upper body strength.

Sasuke's eyes widen when Gaara blocks the hit. That's when he decides to improvise. He kicks Gaara in the stomach, knocking the red head over.

"If I go down, you're going down with me." Gaara says as he pulls Sasuke down with him as the two of them fall.

Just like that, two of the most powerful ninjas in the world fell over like a pair of clumsy teenagers. Sasuke felt his face heat up when he realized that they were in a rather _suggestive_ position. Thank God, that no one else ever came to the Uchiha District besides them and Naruto.

"That's fair. Thanks. I needed that." Sasuke whispers.

"I figured." Gaara says as he raises his hand and then lays it back down immediately, as if he thought better of something.

"Let's call that a draw. You could have speared me with your sand in this position or I could have ripped your heart out." Sasuke says as he stands up and offers the red head his hand.

 _You have no idea, how right you are about that,_ Gaara thinks to himself as he accepts the hand offered to him. It was better than laying on the ground all night. Thankfully, it looked like a quick training session had done the trick.

"Yes, we'll just call that one a tie. Next time, you're mine though." He tells him.

"You wish. Well you knocked some sense into me. It seems like the least that I can do is get you something to eat. What do you like?" Sasuke asks.

 _You. I like you,_ was the automatic thought on the Kazekage's mind. He knew that Sasuke meant food though. Food didn't really matter to him. He was fond of strawberries, chocolate, and streak

That didn't really matter to him though. Gaara wasn't a picky eater. Food was necessary to survive. If it tasted good, that was a bonus. It wasn't a requirement though.

"Whatever you have is fine." Gaara replies.

"You really are too easy to please. Alright. I'll see what I have." Sasuke says as he walks into the house and Gaara follows after him.

The Uchiha heads into his kitchen and Gaara sits on the now familiar couch. It didn't take Sasuke to come back from the kitchen. The red head looks up at him expectantly.

"Steak okay?" He asks.

"Uchiha, what man is going to say no to a good steak?" The red head replies sarcastically.

"I'll take that as a yes. How do you like it?" He asks.

Gaara blinks. Sasuke REALLY needed to stop asking him that. He had no idea that such an innocent question could be taken the wrong way, apparently.

"I prefer mine well done." He answers.

"Of course, you do. After all, you think fire is _pretty_." Sasuke says mockingly.

Gaara raises an eyebrow. It looked like the Uchiha wasn't going to let that go. The red head does the only thing that he could think of to avenge his dignity. He flipped him off and Sasuke just laughs as he heads back into the kitchen to prepare him the steaks.

"Never thought I'd see the day when a Kage did THAT." He muses to himself as he begins working on the steaks.

That was when a purple butterfly flew in through the same window. Sasuke blinks. Was that the same one from earlier? It had to be. How many purple butterflies were there in the Uchiha District?

"I'd give you some, but I don't think butterflies eat steak." He says and shakes his head in amusement.

Sasuke idly notes that the butterfly was the exact same shade of purple as Itachi's fingernail polish. If he believed in reincarnation, he would be rather suspicious by now. Sasuke shakes his head at the childish thought.

"It's a butterfly, not Itachi. I really need to cut back on the sake." He mutters as he finishes cooking the steak and calls out for Gaara.

It was nice. It was nice not to be alone, even if it was temporary. It had been awhile since he had dinner with someone that didn't consist of ramen. Sasuke smiles and decides that was a good start towards something better. He was doing something normal. He was having dinner with a friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate them because this is a fairly rare pairing and I'm happy that it's being so well received. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** You may want to get your tissues ready. This is the wedding chapter and about 70% of it is from Sasuke's perspective. Don't worry, Gaara will get his turn next chapter. Fair warning. Gaara does get a bit possessive. No character bashing was intended, but one character will be portrayed in a less than favorable light.

Chapter 4

Finally, the day of the wedding dawned. Sasuke had rarely been so miserable in his life. That was certainly saying something because he was no stranger to heartache.

Today was the day that it would become official. After today, there would be no going back. Naruto was going to marry Hinata and that was that. He was never going to be with his loveable blonde idiot and there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it.

"Well today is the big day." Kakashi says cheerfully.

"Yeah! I can't wait to see Hinata again! The girls haven't let me anywhere near her in days. They are worried that I might see her wedding kimono. Supposedly, that's bad luck or something." The young ninja replies merrily.

It was strange. Naruto's eyes were bright and happy. Sasuke's own eyes were anything but. Thankfully, he had come up with a plan to hide that from everyone.

Genjutsu wasn't his strong suit, but he could manage minor ones. The last Uchiha had cast one on his face. It was a simple one that would give the illusion of a happy expression. That meant that as long as his tears were silent, no one would notice if he started to cry.

"It is bad luck." Sasuke confirms.

"Bastard, do you really believe in stuff like that?" Naruto asks curiously.

"Not usually. Marriages are different though. Besides, it doesn't hurt to be careful." The Uchiha says.

Naruto tilts his head to the side as if considering this and nods in agreement. Sasuke mentally sighs. He hated when the blonde did that gesture. It was just so _cute._

He couldn't afford to think things like that anymore. Naruto was going to be a married man. His best friend was firmly off limits and even if he wasn't, the blonde was only interested in women. Sasuke had no chance.

"You look very youthful today!" Gai says happily as he dabs his eyes with a tissue.

"The power of youth and love is so beautiful!" Lee agrees as he starts bawling with his mentor.

Sasuke gives Kakashi a look. Kakashi chuckles and the raven haired ninja knew that the other man had received the massage. _"I told you so."_

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a pair of eyes on him. He glances around to see who was looking at him. Perhaps he should have expected what he found. It was Gaara.

Gaara was looking at him with those piercing eyes of his. The last Uchiha knew what he was looking for. The red head was looking for signs that Sasuke wouldn't be able to keep it together.

"What a drag. We better get going or else Naruto is going to be late to his own wedding." Shikamaru says with a sigh.

"What?! There is no way that I'm going to be late to the wedding! The girls would kill me! Come guys! Let's get this show on the road!" The groom exclaims brightly as they all head off.

Sasuke shoots Gaara a small smile. He was grateful for the Genjutsu. The Uchiha could feel a single tear sliding down his cheek at the sight of Naruto happily bounding off to his wedding.

He was pathetic. Sasuke knew that he was being pathetic. He shouldn't be pinning over an almost married man. An almost married man who didn't even like men!

"You're right, Naruto. They would kill you and that would be most unfortunate. I imagine that you would be rather disappointed if you died before your Honeymoon." Gaara says with a sly smile and Sasuke sighs softly in relief.

The Kazekage had bought it. Thank goodness for Genjutsu. Maybe he should make more of an effort to learn more about it. It could be damn useful at times like these.

It was a beautiful wedding. They were hosting it outside on the streets of the Leaf Village. It had to be held outside. Sasuke blinks as he realizes thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of people were lining the streets. They were all eager to catch a glimpse of Naruto and Hinata.

Why wouldn't they be? Naruto had saved the world and was marrying his childhood sweetheart. What could possibly be more exciting than that?

"It's only for a few hours." Gaara whispers in Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke felt himself stiffen. He knew that the red head was just trying to help, but that didn't make him feel better. A few hours felt like an eternity to him at the moment as he walked on the beautiful red carpet that had been laid out on the streets towards the silver alter that was covered in roses.

Everything was perfect. The skies were blue, the birds were chirping, and even the Sakura blossoms were in full bloom. It was as if nature itself had ordained the wedding. That just made Sasuke feel even worse.

"You got this, Naruto." Kiba says as they all take their places at the alter.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." Naruto replies with a grin.

That was when Hinata began walking down the aisle. She was being escorted by her father. The two of them walked proudly and gracefully across the carpet, arm and arm.

"She's beautiful!" Sasuke hears someone say and there were several gasps a the sight of the blushing bride.

Sasuke had heard of the expression before, of course. Everyone had. He had just never thought that it was so literal. Hinata's entire face was a rosy shade of pink, but her lavender orbs were filled with joy.

He wasn't petty enough to deny that Hinata looked beautiful. Her white silk kimono with its baby blue sash flattered her curvaceous frame perfectly and her midnight blue hair contrasted well against the pristine fabric.

"And everything that I'm not." Sasuke mutters under his breath.

Hinata was beautiful, kind, gentle, loyal, supportive, and an excellent choice of companion from political perspective. One day she would make a wonderful mother and wife to the future Hokage of the Leaf Village. Sasuke wasn't any of those things.

"You're perfect just the way you are." Gaara whispers as he places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder comfortingly.

Sasuke was damn glad that he had the Genjutsu in place. Otherwise, he would have been openly gaping at the red head and that would have attracted way too much attention to them. Had Gaara really just said _**THAT**_?!

The last Uchiha didn't have much time ponder how he was supposed to take such a declaration. Hinata had reached the alter, alongside her father. The official ceremony was now beginning.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga. If there is anyone amongst us who has any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace." A priest began.

Sasuke flinches, but was grateful when no one notices. Well no one except for Gaara and he only noticed it because his hand was still on his shoulder. Thankfully, everyone else's attention was on the happy couple.

"Do you Naruto Uzumaki take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish? In sickness and in health? In good times and in bad? And to forsake all others, until death do you part?" The middle aged man continues.

"I do! Believe it!" Naruto says with a wide grin and there were several chuckles from the crowd.

Sasuke clenches his fist so hard that he could feel his fingernails cut into his skin. Once again, he was grateful for Genjutsus. There was no way that he would have been able to make it through this otherwise.

"Well that was very enthusiastic. "Do you Hinata Hyuga take Naruto Uzumaki to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish? In sickness and in health? In good times and in bad? And to forsake all others, until death do you part?" The priest asks once more.

"I do. Always." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

Sasuke flinches again. This would be so much easier, if he could just hate her. He couldn't though.

She was simply too nice. That just made it worse. Hinata was worthy of Naruto. In many ways, she was far more worthy of the blonde than he could ever hope to be.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The man says with a smile of his own.

Naruto didn't waste any time. He kisses Hinata and it was far from chaste. Sasuke felt like he had been Rasenganed straight through the heart. The urge to throw up was overwhelming. If it wasn't for Gaara's hand on his shoulder, he probably would have vomited or run off.

There were many catcalls and well wishes called out. Sasuke could feel more silent tears running down his face. He just hoped that no one noticed the slightly damp carpet underneath him from his silent tears. Mercifully, no one noticed. Well at least Sasuke didn't think anyone noticed.

"It's almost over." Gaara murmurs softly enough that only Sasuke could hear it.

He nods gratefully at Gaara. Sasuke could scarcely believe it. What was the world coming to? The man who had wanted nothing more than to kill him at the Chunin Exams was now his sole source of comfort during one of the worst days of his life. It was a bizarre turn of events to say the least.

"Alright, Hinata. It's time to throw your flowers!" Naruto says cheerfully, after breaking the kiss.

"Okay!" The blushing bride replies as she proceeds to throw the yellow, orange, and lavender roses into the crowd.

There was a massive fight for them. Sasuke was temporarily distracted from his misery long enough to notice that women were vicious. He was suddenly really, really glad that he preferred men. Damn.

"They're psychotic." He mutters to Gaara and he was gratified to see the red head nod in agreement.

Somehow during their fighting, the bouquet goes flying and lands in Gaara's arms. That prompted many gasps and chuckles from the audience. Sasuke wasn't sure who was more surprised the Kazekage or the other guests.

"Well I have to admit that I don't think I've ever received such lovely flowers before. Thank you, Hinata." He says smoothly.

"You're welcome, Lord Kazekage." The bluenette replies sweetly.

In that moment, Sasuke had to admit that Gaara really was a skilled politician. The man had managed to turn a potentially embarrassing moment into something else entirely. How often did a man catch the bouquet at a wedding, Sasuke idly wonders to himself.

He briefly ponders just how embarrassing the entire incident could have been, if it weren't for the young Kage's quick thinking. The Uchiha wasn't entirely certain what he would have done in the red head's place. While he was continuing his internal musings, Naruto had Hinata sit down and was slowly sliding off the garter belt.

"Alright. Here goes guys!" Naruto says excitedly.

If Sasuke hadn't been so distracted by his thoughts, he would have noticed the blonde's cheeky grin. That might have let him know that the other man was planning something. He didn't though and that was why he was so surprised when he realizes that his best friend had hurled the garter belt right into his hands.

"What the Hell?!" Sasuke mutters to himself.

The entire audience suddenly went silent. Sasuke had never heard a crowd go quieter, faster before. He knew why. The last Uchiha had caught the garter belt. To them, that had to be a bad omen for Hinata and Naruto's wedding.

"Looks like the bastard is getting married next!" The blue eyed groom says happily.

Sasuke glowers at Naruto. How fucking DARE he?! He seriously thought this was some sort of game!

The raven haired ninja probably would have lunged at Naruto in a furious rage, if something didn't happen to tickle his nose. That's when Sasuke looks to see what it was. A purple butterfly.

"You again?" He whispers and sighs.

This was beginning to feel more than a little strange. What were the odds that the butterfly had flown out of the Uchiha District and just happened to land on his nose? It must have been fate, he decided. Clearly, someone up there didn't want him to kill Naruto for being an oblivious idiot.

The butterfly was mocking him as well, Sasuke thinks. He lightly brings his hand towards the bridge of his nose and the beautiful creature flies off. He could swear it was laughing at him.

"Yes, I guess it does." Sasuke answers Naruto and the blonde had the audacity to give him a thumbs up, before walking off with Hinata to cut the cake.

There was just no end to the salt that was being poured in his wounds. Ssauke knew that he had done a lot of horrible things. Maybe this was just karma.

"Come on, Uchiha. Dance with me." Gaara tells him.

"Wait. What?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.

"You need something to take your mind off of everything and it will amuse everyone greatly. It would also do wonders for your public image. Besides, we caught the bouquet and garter belt. It's somewhat expected that we would dance with each other or does the Leaf have different wedding traditions than we do in the Sand?" The Kazekage inquires.

Sasuke sighs and gives a nod of consent. Well when Gaara put it that way, it made perfect sense. That and the red head was right. He desperately needed a distraction.

"Alright. Can you dance though?" Sasuke asks as he walks to the dance floor with the Kage.

"Uchiha, I am a Kage. I had to learn to dance for formal events. I can assure you that I'm not going to step on your toes." The other man tells him and Sasuke just smirks.

"Good to know. I feel sorry for Hinata though. Her feet are going to be in agony by the end of all this. Naruto was born with two left feet. If he isn't on the battlefield, he's the biggest klutz on the planet." The raven haired ninja says.

Sasuke saw Gaara nod his head in agreement. That made him feel a bit better. At least he wasn't the only one that thought Naruto was a klutz.

Something disturbed him slightly though. For the briefest moment, he saw another emotion besides amusement flicker across those seafoam green orbs. The Uchiha didn't even have time to identify it properly, but it certainly wasn't a positive emotion.

"Sasuke, you're right. Naruto isn't particularly graceful, but you don't need to torture yourself like this. Forget about him for a few moments. You'll feel better." Gaara says.

The last Uchiha wasn't sure if that was an order or if Gaara was actually pleading with him. God, he was pathetic. Here Gaara was trying to be nice to him and all he could talk about was Naruto.

"Yeah. I can do that." Sasuke says and he blinks when Gaara wraps his arms around his waist.

Oh Hell no! Gaara didn't actually think that he was going to lead, did he?! No. That simply wasn't going to happen.

"Nice try, Lord Kazekage. I'm going to lead though. You can put your arms around my neck." The Uchiha informs him.

"Sasuke, I'm Kazekage. I'm expected to take the lead. You're about to become a member of my village. A little deference in public would go a long way." He reasons.

"You don't fight fair." He says with a sigh as he wraps his arms around Gaara's neck and the other man smiles.

Sasuke wasn't sure why, but his heart skipped a beat at the smile. The red head had a nice smile. He should do it more often. Gaara was really the most serious of all the current Kages, he observes to himself. He rarely smiled.

"All is fair in love and war." The Kazekage replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world as he twirls his partner around the dance floor.

"And which is this?" Sasuke surprises himself by asking.

"Uchiha, we are at a wedding. That's obviously love and it's a war to ensure that chaos doesn't break out at this wedding. The sake is probably going to be flowing very freely and there are many powerful ninjas in attendance." He points out.

"Funny." Sasuke mutters as he allows himself to be lead around the dance floor.

Gaara wasn't like Naruto. The red head was completely graceful. He had likely had formal lessons of some kind. Grace like this didn't come naturally to most people.

He could feel the Kazekage's hand on his back. His hold was firm, but not bruising. At the moment, he felt grateful to Gaara for providing that anchor. The feeling of his hand against his back, kept his attention focused firmly on the red head and those stunning seafoam green eyes.

"I do try. You dance rather well. I am curious as to where you acquired the ability. I find it unlikely that the Sound offered dancing lessons." Gaara says as he spins Sasuke underneath his arm.

"Before my Clan was massacred, I was the son of the Clan Heads. We occasionally had formal functions, even children were expected to participate to a degree. My mother taught me." Sasuke answers him.

"I see. So not only was she beautiful, she must have been graceful. Your father was quite a fortunate man." Gaara muses.

Sasuke blinks. He didn't know how to respond to that. Why was the Kazekage thinking about his mother in such a way?

"She was both and he was a fortunate man, but what makes you say that? You never met her. You've never even seen a picture of her to my knowledge." Sasuke demands.

"You're right. I never did, but Naruto has. He tells me that you favor your mother when it comes to your physical appearance more than your father. So it only stands to reason that she was beautiful." The Kage replies.

"Did you just indirectly call me _**beautiful**_?" The last Uchiha asks incredulously.

Sasuke didn't know whether to be offended, amused, or both. Beautiful was such a feminine adjective. Then again, why would Gaara be complimenting his looks in the first place?! It didn't make any sense.

"I suppose you could look at it that way. I know that you aren't blind, deaf, and dumb. Surely, you realize that most people would view you as physically attractive. While beautiful wouldn't necessarily be the first adjective that I would choose to describe you as it carries a feminine connotation, there are very few people who would argue with the word's accuracy in this case." The red head answers him.

"Thank you. I think. It's funny. You just called me beautiful, yet you are the one who seems fond of flowers. Your entire manner of speech is flowery." Sasuke taunts him.

"I think that you realize why I speak in this way. There is a certain dignity to the position of Kazekage that must be upheld. A certain public image is necessary to maintain for that to be managed." The red head replies in a slightly sulky tone.

"I know. I was only teasing you." Sasuke says as they spin around together in more elegant circles.

Sasuke smiles. He felt pleased that he had finally made Gaara lose his footing for once. Good. It was nice to know that he was capable of getting under the other man's skin, just like Gaara could get under his.

"No way. Hinata, look." Naruto whispers to his wife, after they had cut the cake.

"What is it?" She asks in confusion as she turns around to see what her husband was talking about.

"Gaara and Sasuke are dancing, together." The blonde says as he stares in shock.

Naruto had never really been a ninja who paid much attention to things like elegance, grace, and poetry. Despite this, he knew it when he saw it. The Kazekage and former Criminal Ninja's were all of those things and more as they spun around on the dance floor.

The fact that they were dancing together would have been surprising enough, but there was more. Gaara was looking at Sasuke in the same way that he looked Hinata. No way.

"Sasuke! You came!" Sakura cries out joyfully as she rushes over to the last Uchiha who was in the middle of dancing with Gaara.

It couldn't be, could it? Did Gaara _**like**_ Sasuke? That wasn't possible though. They were both men. Surely, Naruto was imagining things. Yeah. That had to be it.

"Oh this won't end well." Kakashi says as he stands beside Naruto.

"What do you mean? Sasuke has been being a lot nicer to Sakura lately. It should be fine." The blue eyed ninja inquires in a baffled voice.

"I doubt that Sakura is really going to want Sasuke to go to the Sand Village. That's why this won't end well." The silver haired ninja clarifies.

Naruto sighs and nods. Yeah. Kakashi Sensei was right. When he put it that way, this could get ugly and fast. With that in mind, the blonde strides over to his friends with his wife at his side.

"Of course, I came. I was the Best Man." Sasuke tells her.

"That's true. I thought that you might come up with some excuse to not show up though. I know that you don't really like parties or crowds." The pink haired woman says.

"You're right. I don't, but this is Naruto's wedding. I couldn't miss this. Sakura, there is something that I should tell you. Please don't make a scene. I don't want to ruin Hinata's and Naruto's wedding." The raven haired man pleads.

Naruto saw Sakura tilt her head in confusion and that's when he knew that this REALLY was going to end horribly. Oh man! Oh man! This was bad.

"I won't make a scene. What's wrong?" The medic asks.

"Nothing is wrong. I'm getting a transfer to the Sand Village. Gaara made the offer and I accepted. Naruto already approved it. We are leaving after the wedding." Sasuke tells her.

SMACK! Sakura had hit Sasuke! She had smacked him across the cheek and hard, judging by the bruise that was now forming on the other man's cheek.

"Sakura! What did you do that for?!" Naruto snaps at her.

"He's doing it again, Naruto! He always tries to leave us! I thought that maybe this time would be different. I thought that you would realize that I love you and that could learn to love, but I was wrong. You just can't do it, can you?! You just can't form permanent bonds with anyone!" The medic screams at him.

Naruto was about to protest when Gaara cut in. The red head stands behind Sasuke and wraps something around his forehead. It was a Sand Headband. Uh oh.

"Sakura, you saved my life once. I will always be grateful to you for doing that, but I won't allow you to speak to one of my villagers that way. I certainly will not allow you to attack them." Gaara warns her.

The young woman opens her mouth to protest. Apparently, the Kazekage wasn't going to allow her to do so though. Gaara wasn't finished.

"Whether you like it or not, he's mine now. He belongs to the Sand Village. If you strike him again, I will consider it an act of war. So I would advise you not to do so again." Gaara hisses at her, his eyes flashing in anger as his sand swirls around him dangerously.

"I'm sorry, Gaara. I just lost my temper. You can't do this though! He belongs in the Leaf. It's his home! It's where he was born. It's where his Clan is buried. It's where his friends are!" The young woman protests.

"Where his friends are?! If you were truly his friend, you would have noticed how unhappy he was here! He is not the Leaf Village's property! The transfer has already been agreed to. You have no authority over him and you certainly don't have authority over me. He's _**MINE**_! The sooner you accept that fact, the better!" The red head seethes at her.

Naruto blinks. He was going to have to prevent a bloodbath. He sighs and stands between Sakura and Gaara. It was for their own good really.

"Sakura, he's right. The transfer has already been approved. If Sasuke wants to be a Sand Villager, then we should respect his wishes. I know it hurts, but that was his decision. We should respect it. That's what friends do. We support each other." Naruto says with a grin.

Tears were now flowing freely down Sakura's face and the blonde winces when he realizes that. He hated seeing his friend in pain, but there was nothing that he could do about it. Sasuke had made his decision and that was all there was to it.

"I guess you're right. Don't try to come back. We won't let you become a Leaf Ninja again. You can only abandon us so many times, Sasuke!" Sakura snarls at him.

"I wasn't planning on coming back, unless it was to visit Naruto. That's still not your call to make, Sakura. Naruto is going to be the next Hokage. Only he and Kakashi have the power to bar people from entering the village. I'm going to visit Naruto when I feel like doing so and there isn't a damn thing that you can do to stop me." Sasuke begins.

Naruto shivers. His best friend's chakra was certainly taking on an ominous feeling and Gaara's was even more terrifying at the moment. This was spiraling out of control and fast.

"You're right! I don't have the ability to bar you from visiting the village, but I am Naruto's friend. He'll listen to me." The medic retorts.

"You can beg Naruto to prevent me from entering the Leaf Village if you want. It makes no difference to me. I'm going. I hope that you can one day accept my decision. I caused you a lot of pain and for that I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry for this. I need to live my own life." Sasuke finishes.

Naruto saw that Sakura was going to raise her hand again. She never landed the hit though. Gaara's sand smacked her against a tree and hard.

"Sasuke Uchiha is now a Sand Villager. If you attack him, you are attacking the Sand Village. That means you are attacking me. Once again, I'll warn you that is an act of war. That's twice that I overlooked it. I won't do it again a third time." Gaara warns her.

"This is crazy!" Sakura grunts in pain as she stands up.

"Sakura, just let it be. Alright?" Naruto begs and the medic sighs as she nods her head in acceptance.

Naruto could see that she still clearly didn't like it, but she wasn't' stupid. Sakura wasn't willing to start a war over a transfer. Not even for Sasuke.

"Good. I deeply apologize to everyone. It was not my intention to ruin your evenings. We shall take our leave now. Uchiha, are you ready to go home?" Gaara asks as he offers him his hand.

"I'm ready." He says simply and with that the two disappear in a swirl of sand and flames.

Naruto stares at the spot where they had just disappeared in shock. Gaara's words replayed in his head on an endless loop. _"He's MINE!"_ It was at that moment, that the future Hokage realized the truth.

The Kazekage was in love with his best friend. Naruto didn't really know how such a thing was possible, but it was. The way that Gaara had said the word mine in such a possessive fashion and looked at Sasuke said it all. Gaara was in love.

"I can't believe this." He mutters as the realization dawns on him.

No wonder Gaara had offered Sasuke the transfer. The red head was in love with the last Uchiha. Naruto didn't know if the feeling was mutual or even if Sasuke as aware of the other man's feelings, but he did know one thing. This might not end well.


	5. Chapter 5

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad that everyone seems to have enjoyed possessive Gaara. I was a little mean to Sakura, but she's likely going to have a relatively minor role in this story. There will be some character development on her part though. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** There is a flashback scene from Gaara's perspective that is disturbing. Obviously, he no longer wants to do that anymore. Still it's not a scene for the faint of heart. Read at your own risk.

Chapter 5

Gaara couldn't teleport them all the way back to the Sand Village. That was simply too great distance to manage, but he could get them to the Uchiha District. That much he could do.

"Thanks." Sasuke says as they remerge a few minutes later, inside his house.

"You're welcome. You can drop the Genjutsu now. There's no need for it." The red head says.

Sasuke blinks. He didn't know that the red head was well versed in noticing Genjutsus. Then again, he was a Kage. Maybe he had undergone some sort of special training that Sasuke wasn't aware of.

"What are you talking about?" He feigns ignorance.

"You used a Genjutsu to put on a happy face. Your body language didn't match up with your movements. You flinched during the wedding and the carpet underneath you was damp" The Kazekage answers.

The last Uchiha's eyes widen behind his Genjutsu. Damn it. If Gaara had seen through it, there was a chance someone else had.

"Do you think that anyone else realized that I was using Genjutsu?" The raven haired ninja asks.

"No one else noticed because they were focused on Hinata and Naruto. I did though. That was a clever trick, but you don't need to keep up pretenses in your own home." Gaara offers kindly.

Gaara sees Sasuke breathe a sigh of relief at that knowledge. After hesitating for a moment or two, the Uchiha drops the Jutsu. His face was still glistening with tears and that fact made the Kazekage's heart ache.

Once more, he wanted to reach out to the other man. Gaara knew that he couldn't though. Sasuke would likely interpret that as pity.

If there was one thing that the young Kage knew about Sasuke, it was that he hated being pitied. That was why the red head resisted the urge to embrace the former Leaf Ninja and offer words of solace.

"I didn't want to ruin the wedding by having people see that I was upset." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Gaara didn't really know what to say to that. It was amazing really. People tended to view Sasuke was a person who didn't feel much besides rage, but that was clearly wrong.

It was obvious that the last Uchiha really did love Naruto. He loved him enough to let him go. His love was deep enough that he was willing to hide his pain the blonde's sake. Really, it was quite beautiful in a tragic way.

"That was very considerate of you. Unfortunately, I fear that we ended up causing a scene anyway." The red head points out.

Despite everything, Sasuke felt his lips twitch upwards in a smirk. That was putting it mildly. They were probably going to be the talk of the Five Nations before dawn at this rate.

Sonnets, poems, and sagas should be written about it, Gaara decides. It was good to know that Sasuke had the capacity to love and to love deeply. Unfortunately, it was likely going to take a long time before the Uchiha would even think about opening up his heart to anyone again. It had been shattered one too many times.

"Yeah. We did. I'll grab my stuff and summon Garuda. I'd rather fly there, if that's alright with you." The Uchiha says as he grabs his belongings.

That was alright though. The red head didn't sincerely believe that Sasuke was ever going to return his feelings. He hoped that he would someday, but Gaara was realistic enough to know that he couldn't be certain that the other man would.

"I'm fine with flying and that will likely save us a bit of time. Do you think that your hawk would mind though? I am a stranger to Garuda." Gaara inquires.

The Kazekage was idly pulled out of his internal musings, by Sasuke's question. That was another thing about the Uchiha. He was apparently rather good with animals. Well his Summons seemed to adore him anyway.

Gaara believed that you could tell a lot about at person by the way they treated animals. The children that were afraid of Sasuke, just didn't know any better. It was likely they were just following their parents instructions. The red head imagined that the last Uchiha would be rather good with children, if given the chance.

"Garuda is a loyal Summon. He won't object. I would ask Aoda, but I'd rather be in the sky at the moment. Away from everything." Sasuke confesses.

Gaara sighs. It was going to take the other man awhile to get over Naruto. That was only natural. As far as he could tell, Sasuke had been in love with the blonde for years.

That wasn't something that was easy to get over, but he was confident that a change of scenery would be good for the Uchiha. It would help him take the first steps towards getting over his heartache. Well at least that was his hope anyway.

"That's understandable. The headband looks good on you by the way." He offers.

The red head had never really given much thought to headbands before. They were merely a way to identify which village a ninja was from. Now that Sasuke was wearing the his village's headband, that had all changed though.

Suddenly, headbands now carried a much more erotic connotation for the Kazekage. Idly, he realizes there was just something primal about it. In a way, he had Marked Sasuke. Sakura couldn't touch him again, as long as he had that headband.

"Thanks. This one isn't cut like my last one. I feel like a Genin again. I have a new headband and everything." Sasuke muses with a smirk.

That smirk reminded Gaara of their Genin days. In hindsight, he probably should have realized why he wanted to kill Sasuke more than anyone else back then. It was love.

 _After encountering Team Seven for the first time, Gaara made his way into the Leaf Village with his siblings. They were going to check in. It took every ounce of self-control he had, not to abandon his siblings in favor of seeking out the Uchiha._

 _There was just something about him. It was his eyes, the red head decided. Sasuke's eyes were like his. Filled with hatred and a desire to prove himself. That was why Gaara wanted to fight him more than anyone else._

 _"Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked._

 _"I'm fine." He replied in annoyance._

 _At the time, his siblings had been at best an afterthought. At worst, they were like annoying insects that kept buzzing around him. He remembered being very annoyed that the blonde had dared to interrupt his thoughts._

 _For the first time in a long time, Gaara was actually excited about something. He was going to fight the Uchiha. One way or another, he would make sure of it._

 _"Beautiful. It's going to look beautiful." He murmured._

 _The Sand Ninja had never seen someone with skin like Sasuke's before. It was a beautiful ivory color. It would contrast stunningly against his crimson red blood. Gaara was going to kill him._

 _He had to do it. Gaara had to prove that his existence was stronger than anyone else's. It would be nice to fight a worthy opponent for once. Someone who wouldn't cower in his presence. That was what Gaara most looked forward._

 _"What's going to look beautiful?" Kankuro asked in surprise._

 _"Your blood on the streets, if you don't shut up. You're being annoying." He snapped at the other Sand Ninja._

Gaara still regretted that he had wanted to kill Sasuke and how he had treated his siblings back then. Most of his sins could be blamed on the demon, especially when it came to Temari and Kankuro. Now he knew the truth though.

The demon had fixated on Sasuke first because Gaara had. He had only been twelve at the time, but to the Kazekage it had been love at first sight. His love had just expressed itself in a rather unhealthy way at first.

"Good. Do you have everything?" Gaara asks.

Sasuke nods and leads Gaara outside of his house. Once they were outside, he Summons Garuda and strokes the giant hawk's cheek affectionately as he whispers some instructions in the bird's ear. The red head watches in awe at the majestic scene.

"He'll take us there." Sasuke assures Gaara as he quickly gets on Garuda's back and helps the Kazekage do the same.

"Excellent. How fast can he fly?" The red head asks as he wraps his arms around Sasuke's waist.

"Fast. Though I think it would be best for him to pace himself. The Desert Sun is hot and it is a long journey." Sasuke reasons as they take off.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf, Naruto was trying to calm Sakura down. His friend was borderline hysterical. To say the least, this was not how he had pictured his wedding ending.

"Sakura, Sasuke just needs a fresh start. As much as I hate to say it, he doesn't believe that he can get that here. We're all still friends. It's just that he's going to live further away from us than usual. We can still visit him and vice versa. You heard him. He's going to come back. He always does." Naruto says.

Sakura sighs. Logically, she knew that Naruto had a good point. Actually, he had several. It was just that her heart wasn't feeling very logical at the moment.

"I know that he always comes back, but it hurts. We're never enough for him. I'm never enough for him. Naruto, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause a scene at your wedding. It was just too much to take at once though. What I did was stupid. I almost started a war." She mutters in embarrassment.

"I don't think that Gaara would literally go to war over something like that. He was just pulling rank. He takes being Kazekage VERY seriously. The fact that you were trying to stop him from accepting a transfer just set him off. He'll get over it." Naruto assures her with a grin.

The pink haired woman sighs once more and nods. Her friend was right. Gaara wasn't an idiot. A war between the Leaf and Sand would result in heavy causalities. The Kazekage cared too much about his people to subject them to that unnecessarily and he was still friends with Naruto. It was highly unlikely that the red head would have actually carried out that threat.

"You're right. You should go back to Hinata. This is your special day. I think that I'm going to go home early though." She says.

"Alright. Take it easy. Maybe things will look better in the morning." The blonde says and Sakura nods in agreement, before walking off.

Naruto watches as she leaves and then heads back to his new wife. He loved Hinata and he was worried that she would be upset after all that. The blonde quickly finds her and wraps his arms around her.

"I'm sorry about all that." He whispers as he kisses her forehead.

"It's alright. It's not your fault. Besides, I don't think anyone is going to forget about our wedding for a very long time." She giggles and snuggles into his embrace.

"Yeah. That's definitely true. Why don't we have our first dance as a married couple?" Naruto asks.

The blonde holds out his hand to Hinata and leads her to the dance floor. The new Mrs. Uzumaki smiles and wraps her arms around Naruto's neck as they sway together with the music. She was so happy to be married to the man that she loved, that she didn't mind the fact that he occasionally stepped on her toes.

"I love you. One of the reasons why I love you is because you care about your friends so much. You wouldn't be you, if you didn't try to comfort Sakura. She's hurting now. I can't hold that against you." She says.

"I love you too. That's one of the reasons why I love you as well. Well that and you look great in that dress." He says cheerfully as he twirls her around the dance floor.

Naruto knew that he wasn't a very good dancer, but he could manage twirling. Thankfully, Hinata seemed just fine with that. He smiles as he watches his beautiful wife spin around elegantly. She was graceful. Just like Sasuke.

He frowns as he remembers what he saw just a few minutes before. Gaara had claimed that he was willing to go to war over Sasuke. While he was certain that was more bark than bite, the future Hokage also knew that on some level his friend had meant it. Gaara was in love with Sasuke.

"I'm sorry that my father wouldn't allow ramen to be served at our wedding, by the way. I hope you like the cake though." Hinata says.

"Oh. Yeah. That's fine! The cake looks amazing and could probably feed an army. Don't worry about that." Naruto assures her.

The way that he had smacked Sakura around and said that Sasuke was his in such a possessive tone spoke volumes. Naruto wasn't sure if men liking men that way was normal or if Gaara was just confused. Either way, his feelings were strong.

That only left two questions though. Was Sasuke aware of the Kazekage's feelings and did he return them? The Jinchuuriki didn't know. That was the scary part.

"Good. I can't wait to get to the Land of Tea. I hear wonderful things about their hot springs." Hinata says shyly.

"Oh yeah! Me neither!" Naruto replies with a grin.

Just like that, all his gloomy thoughts were banished. The thought of Hinata in hot springs was a very distracting one. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed how beautiful she was before. Oh well. He was more than eager to make up for lost time. Believe it!

A few days later, Sasuke and Gaara arrive in the Sand Village. By this time, Sasuke was a rather irritated Uchiha. The harsh Desert Sun loved his fair skin a little bit too much. No matter how powerful you were, sunburn was always an unpleasant experience.

"I think that it would be best if you stayed with me at the Kazekage Mansion. You can always move out later. For now, I believe that would go a long way towards reassuring my villagers that you aren't a threat." Gaara says.

"Gaara, that's fine. Right now, I just want to get out of this Godforsaken Sun!" Sasuke says.

Gaara smiles. Sasuke was adorable when he was sulking about something. He probably should have had the last Uchiha put on some suntan lotion before they entered the Desert. Damn. Next time.

"Alright." He says as Garuda lands and they get off the massive hawk.

It didn't take long for the Summon to disappear with a loud pop or for them to arrive at the Kazekage Mansion. Once they were inside, the red head leads Sasuke to his office and pulls out a basket of something from underneath his desk. Sasuke watches Gaara curiously as he does so.

"Take as many as you like. It's suntan lotion. You are going to need it for awhile. Skin like yours burns easily." He reasons.

"Thanks." Sasuke says as he begins applying some to his face.

"You're welcome. You can stay in one of the guest rooms for now. Fortunately, it doesn't look like you brought too much with you. It should be an easy matter for you to unpack." The Kazekage says.

Gaara sees Sasuke nod in agreement and smiles. This was going better than expected. He had expected the other man to argue for his own place immediately.

"You will likely experience some culture shock and it will take people awhile to get used to you, at first." He warns him.

"I know, Gaara. That would be the case anywhere though." He says as he winces.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Gaara asks when he notices the wince.

He watches as Sasuke tugs off his shirt and reaches for his back. Oh so that was what was wrong. He'd gotten sunburn on his back. Gaara could sympathize. That was the worst place to get it really.

"Stupid sunburn. I can't believe it even got through my shirt." He mutters.

"Uchiha, let me help you with that. I've gotten quite skilled at the art of applying suntan lotion. I am after all, a red head in a desert." Gaara informs him.

"Really? Wait. Nevermind. That's a good point. Sure." Sasuke mutters as he sits in Gaara's chair with his back towards him.

It didn't escape Gaara's notice that Sasuke took a few experimental spins in his executive chair. That amused him. It seemed that Sasuke's Inner Child was actually alive and well.

"You'll get used to it, but I do recommend putting it on everyday." Gaara says as he begins applying the lotion to Sasuke's back.

The normally ivory pale skin was now in some places a rosy shade of pink and in others a fiery red color. Gaara mentally winces. That did look rather painful, no wonder Sasuke was wincing.

"Yeah. Trust me. I'm not going to forget to do that again, anytime soon." Sasuke murmurs.

"Good." Gaara says with a smile as he rubs Sasuke's back.

The leopard metaphor was still an apt one, he muses. Sasuke was all sleek muscle, just like the big cat. Unfortunately, he was also coiled as tightly as a cobra. That couldn't be healthy. The closer the red head got to his neck, the more that Gaara realized the Uchiha carried all his tension there.

"Mmm." Sasuke sighs in contentment.

He wasn't really sure why that felt so good. It just did. The cooling sensation of the lotion combined with Gaara's touch felt like pure bliss against his irritated skin. He closes his eyes and feels himself relax.

"Do you want me to do your neck as well?" Gaara asks.

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." Sasuke answers.

"Alright." Gaara says simply as he moves a few raven black locks to the side and lathers Sasuke's neck with the lotion.

Sasuke bites his lower lip to keep from moaning. God, that felt good. He had always known that his neck was sensitive, but it really shouldn't have made him feel that good. What was wrong with him?

The red head was just trying to help him with his sunburn. It wasn't like Gaara was attempting to seduce him. That and Sasuke wasn't really sure which gender appealed to Gaara. Maybe he preferred both or neither. It was hard to tell really.

"There. That should do it." Gaara says after a few minutes.

He didn't dare let his hands linger too long. The last thing that he needed was for Sasuke to think that he was trying to seduce him. Right now, that would be disastrous. The Uchiha's heart was still in tatters thanks to Naruto's wedding.

"Yeah. Thanks. Can you show me to a guestroom? I'd like to unpack and try to sleep this off." Sasuke asks.

"Of course. Follow me." The Kazekage replies as he leads Sasuke off to one of the guest rooms.

A few minutes later, Sasuke looks around curiously. It was a nice room. A queen sized canopy bed with white blankets, sheets, and pillows. The floor had a colorful rug on it and there was a grandfather clock in the corner. Sasuke idly notes that there was also a closet and connected bathroom. Mercifully, it was much cooler in here than outside.

"I hope that you'll be comfortable here." Gaara says.

"This is perfect. Thanks. So I'll talk to you tomorrow about everything? I imagine that you have mountains of paperwork that you will need to fill out for my transfer." The raven haired man inquires.

"Oh you have no idea. I'd say that about half of a Kage's job consists of nearly endless paperwork. Yes, tomorrow. You should get some rest. It's late." Gaara agrees.

Sasuke nods. He was exhausted and his "massage" had lulled him into a half asleep state. Sleep sounded wonderful.

"Goodnight, Gaara." He says as he heads towards his bed and places his traveling bags on it.

"Goodnight, Sasuke." The Kazekage states as he departs.

Sasuke waited a few moments and then shut his door, before he began unpacking. He wanted to get this out of the way quickly. Then he could get some sleep. Well at least that was his original plan.

 _"You're perfect just the way you are."_ Gaara's words echoed in his mind.

No matter how much he tried to ignore them, they kept coming back. Was Gaara just trying to be nice or was there more to it? It did seem strange that the Kazekage would offer him a transfer out of the blue. Was it possible that Gaara had feelings for him?

"I'm being ridiculous. Gaara isn't exactly a subtle person. He says whatever is on his mind." He mutters.

The red head might filter whatever he said a lot to make it sound polite, but Gaara certainly wasn't shy. Sasuke couldn't believe that the Kazekage would harbor feelings for someone and not say anything about it. It just seemed so unlikely.

Sasuke blamed it on the heat, the massage, and stress. There was no way that Gaara could like him that way. Not everyone was like Sakura and Karin.

"He's just being nice because I'm Naruto's friend. That and his village gets a bloodline out of this and my Clan's financial assets will be a major boost for their economy. He's being smart." He mutters as he finishes unpacking.

After that, he quickly strips down to his boxers and hops into his new bed. Sasuke blinks when he realizes how soft it was. He was used to sleeping outside on the ground or a harsh mattress of some inn. It had been awhile since he had a soft bed.

Sasuke fell asleep quickly. He was emotionally and physically drained. That combined with the soft bed made for one very sleepy Uchiha.

Meanwhile Gaara goes back to his office. He hadn't been lying when he told Sasuke that about half of a Kage's job consisted of paperwork. Sadly, it was going to get through everything that needed to be done for Sasuke to be an official member of the Sand Village though.

"I'm going to be the one who needs a neck massage after all this." He mutters to himself in annoyance.

It was a small inconvenience though. He would have done almost anything to get Sasuke out of there. Staying in the Leaf would have eventually broken him. He just knew it.

"Damn. Where did I put that stamp?" He asks himself as he looks around for his _**APPROVED**_ stamp that he used to approve requests.

That's when he saw something purple out of the corner of his eye. It was a butterfly. The butterfly was sitting on his stamp!

"Well thank you, but I need that stamp." He murmurs.

Gaara blinks as the butterfly moves off the stamp and proceeds to sit on the desk instead. It was almost like the tiny creature understood him. Oh boy. It had really been a long day, the red head decides.

Now he was imagining that butterflies understood him. Clearly, Sasuke wasn't the only one who was suffering from the Desert Sun playing tricks on him. It had burned the Uchiha's beautiful skin and was now messing with Gaara's mind.

"Thank you." He says to the butterfly as he stamps _**APPROVED**_ on Sasuke's transfer request.

He smiles. Well at least he was making progress with Sasuke. The odds were still low that Sasuke would ever return his feelings, but he had reason to be hopeful now.

The Uchiha had allowed him to touch his back and his neck. Those were two very vulnerable spots. That implied a certain level of trust.

"He even seemed to enjoy it. Though that might have just been relief at having his sunburn tended to." He muses.

At least Gaara knew that the other man liked men and wasn't adverse to his touch. That was a start. He just needed Sasuke to come out of his cocoon that he had erected around himself. Once he did, he'd probably be even more beautiful than this strangely intelligent butterfly that was sitting on his desk.

"Only time will tell." He decides as he goes back to finishing up the paperwork for Sasuke's transfer.


	6. Chapter 6

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I really do believe that different ninja villages would have different cultures. The ritual in this chapter is not cannon. Naruto is also rather clueless when it comes to certain topics. No offense is intended, but I will put warnings up before and afterwards. If you aren't good with weird/clueless musings, you might want to skip that scene.

Chapter 6

The next day, Sasuke heads to the kitchen of the Kazekage Mansion to get something to eat. That's when he overheard the Sand Siblings in the middle of a heated discussion. Apparently, he was the topic of interest.

"Gaara, you can't be serious. You invited him to become a Sand Villager? I get that he helped us to win the war, but he's not mentally stable and you know that." Kankuro says.

"Show me a ninja who is mentally stable and I'll show you a dragon." Gaara retorts.

Temari sighs. That was a good point. That didn't change the fact that this wasn't going to end well. The feisty blonde had to try to reason with her baby brother and she needed to do so swiftly.

"Gaara, I can't argue that most ninjas don't have at least some issues. Sasuke is a very special case though. I want to believe that his Journey of Redemption did him some good, but I don't know how the villagers will react to him." The Sand Ninja says.

"That's true. I figured that the best way to introduce him would be _**The Binding Ceremony**_." Gaara replies.

Sasuke blinks. He'd never heard of THAT before. It didn't sound particularly pleasant though. Despite the growing sense of unease in his belly, it was nice to see that the Kazekage was defending him.

Gaara was defending him even from his siblings. That couldn't be an easy thing for the red head to do. Sasuke couldn't help but smile at the Kazekage's loyalty, even if he didn't have any idea what he had done to deserve it.

"You don't actually think he's going to agree to THAT, do you?" The puppet master demands in disbelief.

"I think that the Uchiha would do almost anything to get away from the Leaf Village. I'll talk to him about it." The young Kage states.

"You're right about that and I'm listening." Sasuke says as he walks into the kitchen and reveals himself.

Immediately, he saw Temari and Kankuro tense. Sadly, Sasuke couldn't blame them. He had given neither of them a single reason to trust him.

"Sasuke, you're awake. We were discussing what would be the best way to let the other Sand Villagers know that you are here. Some of them saw the hawk last night. They are going to want to know what is going on. I believe that the Binding Ceremony would be the best solution to soothe their fears." Gaara informs him.

Sasuke nods. He still didn't know what that was. Gaara was right though. He would do almost anything to get away from the Leaf. Well almost anything. He did have some limits.

"That sounds good, but what does this ceremony entail?" The raven haired ninja inquires.

"It takes place at night, in the desert. There is a fire and there will be traditional music playing, along with some chanting. You will have to drag a dagger along your arm hard enough to make it bleed. I will do the same to mine. We will clasp our arms together and then some water will be poured on you. It's supposed be symbolic of washing away your loyalties to your old village and starting a new life. Water is life in the desert." He explains.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. That was so primal. Apparently, the Sand really was a different world than the Leaf.

"I'm hardly scared of a little blood, but what about the cutting part of the ritual? What is that supposed to symbolize?" The Uchiha asks.

"You weren't born a Sand Village. By sharing blood with one, you become a blood brother to us. It shows that you are willing to suffer an injury for the good of the village. It's a loyalty test." Gaara answers him.

"Alright. That makes sense. I'll do it." Sasuke says.

Kankuro blinks. He hadn't expected Sasuke to actually agree. Who was this man and what had he done with the Uchiha?

"Really? You don't have an issue with it?" The puppet master asks.

"No. I don't see why I would. If it will make them less afraid of me, I don't mind a cut and getting wet. It doesn't seem like it should be that much of an ordeal." Sasuke replies with a shrug.

"Wow. I guess that journey really did mellow you out. Well welcome to the Sand." Temari says.

Sasuke nods at her gratefully. It appeared that Temari was slightly more receptive towards him than Kankuro. He didn't blame Gaara's brother for being skeptical though.

He had attacked the Kage Summit, after all. If he were in Kankuro's position, he wouldn't trust him either. The puppet master would be stupid, not to be wary of him.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Of course, it will take the villagers awhile to get used to you. This will go a long way towards establishing trust though. The Binding Ceremony is tremendously sacred in our culture." The red head says.

"Good to know." Sasuke replies and nods.

Well it was a little more exotic than what he was used to. Honestly though, he had survived much worse. Haku turning him into a human pincushion came to mind. So he didn't really mind a little cut and having some water thrown on him.

That and he did appreciate the symbolism. He really wished that it was that easy. It would be nice if forgetting about the Leaf Village was that easy. He wished that he could forget that he was in love with someone who would never return his feelings. That would have been wonderful.

Meanwhile Naruto was on his Honeymoon with Hinata. His wife was still fast asleep. In all fairness, last night had been extremely _eventful._ Sex was even better than ramen!

"I might have gotten a bit carried away though." He muses to himself as he brushes the bangs out of her eyes.

Hinata was a ninja. More than that, she was Jonin. The bluenette was far from a lazy person like Shikamaru, but she just didn't have Naruto's stamina. Quite simply, he had worn her out.

That was alright with Naruto though. He was more than satisfied and still had another glorious thirteen days to celebrate their marriage together. To him, they had all the time in the world.

"I think I'll surprise her with breakfast in bed." He says to himself as he quickly dresses and heads off to grab some food from the buffet.

Naruto smiles and greets everyone that came over to speak with him. He was used to such reactions now. He was famous for helping to end the war.

"Thanks. Yeah! It was a beautiful wedding!" The blonde says to what was probably the twelfth person to offer their congratulations on his marriage.

"You're welcome! May your marriage be a long and happy one." The elderly woman says, before she hobbled off.

The young ninja quickly grabs his food and heads back to the Honeymoon Suite that he was sharing with Hianta. He smiles when he sees she was still asleep. God, she was beautiful.

 **Warning Naruto's Oblivious Musings**

"I wonder if Gaara feels the same way about Sasuke." He mutters to himself.

He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the Kazekage was in love. He was in love with Naruto's best friend. Gaara was in love with Sasuke. It was just unbelievable.

"I wonder how that even works." The ninja says as he tilts his head, trying to consider that.

No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't figure out how two men were compatible in that respect. Maybe Gaara was just confused or he knew something that the blonde didn't. That or he thought Sasuke was going to use the Sexy Jutsu and become a woman for him.

"Ha! That'll be the day." Naruto snorts in amusement as he tries to picture a female Sasuke.

That was even harder to picture than two men being together. He was happy that Gaara had found love. Naruto just wasn't sure how the relationship dynamics would work in such a match.

 **End of Naruto's Musings**

"I should probably talk to Gaara about this. This could get ugly." The blonde whispers to himself.

"What could get ugly?" Hinata asks in confusion as she slowly opens her eyes.

"Oh um it's a long story. Don't worry about it though. Morning, beautiful." Naruto says as he kisses his wife.

Hinata smiles and kisses back. She couldn't believe that they were actually married. She had never been happier in her entire life.

"Good morning." She whispers.

"So last night was really great and I got us some breakfast!" Naruto exclaims brightly and Hinata blushes.

Last night had been amazing. She couldn't believe that she had acted that way. Apparently, Naruto didn't mind though. It seemed that the other ninja was very much okay with wanton behavior.

"Yes, it was and that looks wonderful." Hinata says with a shy smile.

"Yeah. You like the cinnamon rolls best, right?" Her husband asks.

"Yes, cinnamon rolls are my favorite." The new Mrs. Uzumaki says and smiles as she realizes that Naruto remembered her favorite food.

Later that night, Gaara decides to make the announcement. It was probably best to wait until the ceremony was about to begin to say Sasuke was there, he decides. That would at least stall the chaos.

"Attention. For those interested, I am about to conduct a Binding Ceremony. It will begin in precisely one hour from now. I believe you all know the location." Gaara says and then he cuts the speakers as he teleports off with Sasuke.

Sasuke blinks when a few minutes later, hundreds of people made their way to where they were. It was just an empty spot in the desert. He estimated it was probably a quarter of a mile away from the entrance to the Sand Village. Nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary, yet everyone had apparently found it with ease.

He heard the startled gasps from the Sand Villages. One by one, they began to notice his presence. Thankfully, the fact that Gaara was standing next to him, kept them from panicking. Well at least they weren't panicking yet.

"Thank you all for coming. I know that this will likely come as a shock to all of you, but Sasuke Uchiha has agreed to become a Sand Village. As proof of his sincerity, he has agreed to take part in the Binding Ceremony." The Kazekage says.

Sasuke suppresses a shiver at the tone of absolute authority in the red head's voice. He wasn't sure how Gaara did it, but somehow he managed to project an image of absolute calm while dealing with the fear of hundreds, maybe thousands of his frightened villagers. It was as if accepting him into the Sand Village was the most natural thing in the world to him and not a potential political catastrophe.

"Lord Kazekage! Are you sure that this is a good idea?!" One of the Sand Villagers shouts out.

"If I did not believe it was a good idea, I wouldn't have agreed to it. You are welcome to voice your objections, but my decision is final. Should you find my decision unacceptable, you are free to leave the Sand Village or challenge me for my position." The young Kazekage replies automatically.

Sasuke blinks. Was Gaara out of his mind? He was essentially putting his Kageship on the line in theory.

The Uchiha mentally slaps himself for that thought. That was a little overdramatic. It was highly unlikely that any of them could seriously defeat Gaara. Still it was the principle of the thing.

"Lord Kazekage, you know that I would never challenge you and that I am a loyal citizen of this village. I just have my concerns." He whispers.

"I understand. That is why we are performing this ceremony. I do hope that it will put your minds at ease." The red head continues and there were murmurs of agreement.

Once again, Gaara was going to the mat for him. Why? It didn't make any sense. Was it really only because Sasuke was Naruto's friend? Was his bloodline and the financial boost to the Sand's economy really worth the potential political costs, the Uchiha wonders to himself.

"You heard Lord Gaara. Let the ceremony begin!" Baki calls out.

It didn't take long for drums and other instruments to begin to play. Sasuke wasn't an expert on music, but he knew ancient music when he heard it. It was likely that this "song" had been played for centuries in the Sand Village.

Idly, he notes that it was a beautiful night. The sky was pitch black. The only thing that illuminated their view was the Full Moon and the thousands of bright stars that lined the sky. Well that and the large bonfire that was still proudly blazing in the middle of nowhere. It was almost defiant somehow.

"Uchiha." Gaara says as he holds out his hand to the other man.

That was enough to snap Sasuke out of the small daze that he had entered. He nods and takes Gaara's hand. Soon enough, he was pulled closer to the fire and standing next to the Kazekage.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you have agreed to become a Sand Villager and to undergo the Binding Ceremony. Is this accurate?" The red head asks him.

"It is." Sasuke says simply and somewhere in the back of his mind, he notes that the Sand Villagers were now chanting something.

He had no idea what they were chanting. Sasuke wasn't even sure what that they were chanting it in the same language that they spoke every day. One thing was for sure though. It was utterly hypnotic.

"Good. First, you must prove that sincerely desire to protect this village. That you are willing to spill your own blood to do so. Cut your arm with this dagger until you bleed." He says as he hands him a dagger.

Sasuke takes the dagger and briefly examines it. It was about six inches long and probably about two inches thick. The blade was pure stainless steel, but the hilt was made of diamonds. It was quite beautiful, really.

"Alright." He says as he glides the tip of the dagger across his arms, until his creamy white skin was marred by a thin line of a familiar crimson red liquid.

Gaara takes the dagger back from him and copies him. Sasuke watches curiously. Apparently, Gaara had gained even greater control of his sand recently. It actually allowed him to hurt himself.

"Good. Now we will link arms as brothers of the Sand." He says as he holds his arm against Sasuke's.

Gaara quickly places their hands above their heads. It was a dramatic gesture, Sasuke thinks in amusement. Clearly, the Kazekage wanted all of the other Sand Villagers to see it.

"Now the water will wash away your loyalties to your previous village. The Sand should come first to you as a Sand Villager." Gaara informs him and he proceeds to pour a bucket of ice cold water on Sasuke.

"AHHH! GAARA!" Sasuke cries out and shivers at the glacial water that was now coating his skin and drenching his clothes.

The Sand Villagers seem to find great amusement in watching a freezing Uchiha. Sasuke was damn sure that he heard more than one or two half stifled chuckles from the crowd. He couldn't help but grumble at the assault to his dignity.

Gaara mouths an apology as he holds Sasuke's hand even higher. There were now cheers. Apparently, the Sand Villagers had had their fun and were satisfied that he was going to be a good Uchiha now or they were being polite. Sasuke wasn't sure which.

"And with that, Sasuke Uchiha is now a Sand Villager. You are now free to spend the rest of the evening as you wish. Whether it be here or at your homes." Gaara informs them.

There were murmurs of confirmation that the Sand Villagers had heard their Kazekage. Soon enough, some of the ninjas and civilians began dancing. Sasuke blinks.

There was something really primal about the sight of them dancing under the moonlight, next to the fire with the ancient music blaring. Maybe that was why they did it. It was certainly unique.

"Thank you for humoring them." Gaara whispers.

"No problem. Do you have a lot of traditions like this?" Sasuke asks.

"There are a handful of traditions that have been passed down from long before we were a ninja village. It something that binds us together." The Kazekage replies.

Sasuke nods. Well that was nice. The Leaf didn't really have anything like this. They had a Founding Celebration, of course. Other than that, the Leaf Village didn't really have something similar to the Binding Ceremony. The closest thing that they had was the Hokage Mountain and Memorial Stone.

"Should I stay?" Sasuke asks.

"It would be advisable. Give them a chance to get to know you. It seems that you already have a few admirers." Gaara muses.

The red head wasn't jealous because at the moment, all the admirers appeared to be women. Women who were quite happy to catch a glimpse of a soaking wet Uchiha. Gaara tries not to laugh when he saw Sasuke gulp.

" Damn it. I was hoping that was more of a Leaf Village thing. Apparently, women are like that everywhere?" He whispers.

"It would seem so." Gaara says sympathetically.

Sasuke sighs and walks over to a group of men. That was probably a safer bet. He didn't really feel like having to defend his "virtue" against the women of the Sand Village.

Gaara smiles. Sasuke was really trying. Maybe this would work out. Sasuke might never love him, but at least he could give him a chance to start over. That was something that not even Naruto had been able to give him.

It was wrong, but part of him couldn't help but feel a little smug at that fact. He had done something for the Uchiha that the blonde hadn't been able to. Him. Not Naruto.

"Do you really think that this is going to work?" Baki asks Gaara quietly.

"I hope so. He seems to be attempting to assimilate. At the moment, I couldn't ask for more from him." The red head whispers back and Baki nods in agreement.

The celebration continues on until the Sun began to rise. That was when Gaara walked back over to the Uchiha. Dimly, he notes that the other man's clothes had mostly dried off during the course of the night. Still it would probably be a good idea to get him into something drier.

"Sasuke, are you ready?" He asks.

"I'm ready. It'd be nice to get some sleep and slip into something that isn't wet." The Uchiha admits.

"That would probably be a good idea." Gaara agrees as he grabs Sasuke's hand and they teleport off.

Sasuke sighs in relief and once they arrive in his room, he grabs a few things out of his bags. A shirt and a pair of pants. Gaara blinks when the Uchiha proceeds to start giving him an unintentional striptease.

"Sasuke?" He asks uncertainly.

"Yeah?" The other man replies as he slides his shirt over his head.

"What are you doing?" The Kazekage inquires cautiously.

Sasuke apparently didn't anything wrong with taunting the red head with his muscles. After all, Gaara had already seen him shirtless when the Kazekage applied the suntan lotion to his back. In Sasuke's mind, as long as kept his boxers on, he wasn't doing anything unusual.

"Changing into some drier clothes. Why?" He asks as he slips out of his pants and was standing in nothing but a pair of crimson red boxers.

"Nothing. Nothing. So I was thinking. Perhaps it would be best if you pursued another specialization besides that of a combat ninja." The red head says as he decides to just enjoy the view.

Sasuke clearly wasn't a modest person. So why shouldn't the red head admire the sleek muscle that was gloriously displayed before him? He was only human.

"What else would I do?" The last Uchiha replies as if the thought had never occurred to him before.

Gaara was almost positive that was the case. Sasuke was born and bred for combat. Telling him to try something else was borderline blasphemy and he knew it. It was like telling a lion to become a vegetarian.

"Well there are other options. In particular, I was wondering if you would be interested in becoming a medic." The Kazekage offers.

Not surprisingly, Sasuke looked at Gaara like he had grown another head as he puts another pair of pants on. The red head this point was considering banning Sasuke from wearing clothes in private. He was Kazekage. He could come up with an excuse. It would be an abuse of his power though.

"I think that we both know that probably isn't a good idea. My chakra is too destructive for that." He says.

"It's a good idea. Your Sharingan means that you would sail through training. You have massive amounts of chakra reserves and you have good chakra control. Not as good as Sakura's, but still good. That and it might make it easier for people to accept the fact that you aren't a threat." The red head reasons.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. As always, Gaara was logical. It was odd to go from Naruto's boisterous nature to the red head's more methodical one. As strange as it sounded, the other man had a point.

That's when he saw the purple butterfly again. What the Hell? It must have hitchhiked on Garuda's back or something. This was seriously getting more than a little bizarre. He sighs and decides it must be a sign.

"I guess I could try it. I mean the worst that could happen is that I'd traumatize whoever is dumb enough to train me." The raven haired ninja says after internally debating the matter for a minute.

"Wonderful and that's strange. I think the butterfly has decided to move in with us." Gaara observes.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asks.

Gaara chuckles. That was right. Sasuke didn't know that the purple insect had been in his office yesterday. Well he supposed there was no harm in sharing his observations.

"That same butterfly was in my office, not long ago. It was sitting on one of my stamps and very politely hopped off it, when I asked it to. It's almost as if it understands us." The Kazkeage says.

"Maybe it does. Anyway, I'll give being a medic a try. I'm warning you that this isn't going to work. I don't think that there has ever been an Uchiha medic actually." Sasuke muses.

"Well there is a first time for everything. There's never been an Uchiha who was a Sand Villager either. Good night, Sasuke. I have to finish up your paperwork and I imagine that you are eager to get some sleep. Though perhaps I should say good morning?" Gaara asks.

"Right. I guess that's true. Yeah. I'll see you later. I could use some sleep. What about you? Aren't you tired after everything?" Sasuke asks in amazement.

"I still sleep very little. It's a habit that just hasn't died, even after the threat of the demon taking over has receded. It's alright though. It has enabled me to be enormously productive." The Kazekage says with a shrug.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that and then nods. Well if you didn't sleep much, it was only natural that you would get more done. Still he preferred getting his rest, provided that he didn't have any nightmares. (He still had those more than not, unfortunately.)

"I'll bet. Well thanks. Thanks for everything, Gaara. I mean it. You probably saved my life." The Uchiha says.

"You're welcome. It was my _**pleasure**_." Gaara says as he walks off.

Sasuke blinks as he watches Gaara leave. Had it been his imagination or had the Kazekage emphasized the word pleasure. He smacks himself.

"I'm imagining things. Probably because I'm exhausted." He mutters.

The butterfly flits about him excitedly and Sasuke raises an eyebrow. This was getting a little too weird. It was almost like the butterfly was laughing at him.

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it." He growls as he flops onto the bed.

Just then the butterfly did something utterly bizarre. It landed on Sasuke's forehead and proceeded to poke him. Well as much as a butterfly could do such a thing.

"Itachi?" He whispers to the beautiful insect.

That was all it took. The butterfly flitted off and flew out the window, leaving behind a very confused Uchiha in its wake.


	7. Chapter 7

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 7

A few days later, Sasuke heads to the hospital. He wasn't entirely certain how Gaara had apparently talked some medics into training him, but the last Uchiha wasn't going to argue. He was feeling cautiously optimistic as knocks on the door of Head Medic's Office.

Sasuke had to give Sand Ninjas this much, their reflexes were impressive. He had barely tapped the door three times before the medic opened the door. She smiles at him and gestures for the transfer to come inside.

"You must be Sasuke. I'm Ayume. I run the hospital." The woman explains.

"Yes, I'm Sasuke." He confirms as he takes the opportunity to look her over.

The raven haired ninja estimated she was probably in her forties or fifties at most. Her hair was still red, but the woman's bangs had already gone gray. The newly turned locks matched her stormy gray eyes and Sasuke noted that her hair reached to her slender waist. Ayume was very willowy and wearing a traditional medic uniform.

"I must admit that I was surprised to hear that you were interested in becoming a medic. What made you decide to change your specialization, if I may be so bold to ask." She inquires.

"Lord Kazekage suggested that it might be a good idea. He made a strong case for it and I decided that there wasn't any harm in trying." Sasuke answers honestly.

He wasn't going to try to trick her into thinking that he had suddenly become tenderhearted. Gaara had suggested it and that was that. The red head had potentially risked his political future by inviting him to the Sand. The least that Sasuke could do in return was to consider his suggestions.

"Ah yes. Well he did send me your records from the Leaf Village. You performed rather well at the Leaf's Academy. So I have every confident that you'll catch on quickly." She says with a sweet smile.

"He what?" Sasuke asks.

"The Kazekage requested that your records be shipped here. They included your academic file from your time as an Academy Student. I took the liberty of glancing at them and was pleased to find that you scored rather well on the written exams. Obviously, I expected you to excel in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu." Ayume continues.

Sasuke mentally slaps himself. Of course, Gaara was going to ask for his records. Why wouldn't he?

It only made sense that he would send them to his new instructor. As a practical matter, Ayume had every right to know about his previous academic history. He was overreacting.

"That's very kind of you to say. How long does it take to graduate from the Sand's Medical Program?" He asks curiously.

It wasn't as though he had any real reason to hurry. Sasuke had just always been a very goal driven individual. After losing Itachi and even Naruto in a way, he felt rather aimless. His two life goals had essentially gone up in smoke. It was unsettling to say the least.

For most of his life, he had wanted to kill Itachi. When he found out the truth, he went into shock and wanted revenge against the Leaf. Eventually, Naruto somehow pulled him out of the darkness though.

"Oh it varies. We don't have a mandatory training period. Some people finish in as little as a year, but five years is considered standard and ten years isn't unheard of." She tells him.

After that, he had hoped that maybe he could still achieve his second goal. The fact that he had fallen in love with another man made that goal harder to achieve, but there was always the possibility of surrogates. That and he was certain that if he investigated the Sound's Medical Labs, he could find something to enable him and Naruto to both be their children's biological fathers. That dream had also gone up in smoke.

"It sounds like it's a rigorous program, if some people take a decade to complete it." Sasuke says.

"Oh it is. Though most of the people who take that long, are part-time students. They attend classes, after they have finished their other duties." Ayume explains and Sasuke nods in understanding.

Naruto had chosen Hinata and Sasuke couldn't blame him. It wasn't as though he had ever told the blonde how he felt. Even if he had, it probably wouldn't have mattered. The odds of Naruto loving another man seemed slim, especially him.

"I take it that I'm going to be doing a lot of reading in the beginning?" The last Uchiha asks.

"You're correct about that. I do hope you won't be bored. I know that you are used to a more physical position. Being a medic can be a rather strenuous occupation physically, but studying to become one isn't at first." She warns him.

"I understand completely." Sasuke assures her.

Now Hinata was married to Naruto. There would be no blue eyed Uchihas running around anytime soon. He had also considered the possibility of blonde Uchihas, but that was just blasphemy. Besides, blonde hair was a recessive trait. Then again, so were blue eyes. Hmm.

On the bright side, at least his medical training would give him something to focus on. Something besides Naruto. Sasuke was still sane enough to realize that he desperately needed that.

"Maybe that was the real reason why he did it." Sasuke mutters.

"I'm sorry. Maybe what was the real reason why who did what?" Ayume asks in confusion.

"Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking out loud. Please continue." The raven haired ninja says and Ayume proceeds to do exactly that.

Gaara might have just encouraged him to become a medic to take his mind off of Naruto. The red head clearly knew that he was suffering. Maybe the Kazekage had given him an academic challenge to help him move on. If nothing else, it would keep him busy for awhile.

"Of course. Well I think that the first thing we should do is give you a tour of the hospital and perhaps introduce you to some other students in the program and a few of our medics. Please follow me." Ayume says as heads out of her office and into the hallway.

Sasuke nods and follows her. He still didn't think he'd be a good medic, but he was grateful to Gaara anyway. He needed a distraction and badly.

Meanwhile Gaara was in his office. He was listening to one of his Jonins give his Mission Report. Normally, this was a task that he devoted all of his attention to. Unfortunately, he couldn't focus for the life of him today.

"We did encounter some bandits along the way, but we were easily able to deal with them. The Nobleman made it to his village safely." He finishes.

Damn Uchihas and their unintentional stripteases, he thinks to himself. Well that wasn't being fair. Gaara didn't really know if it was an Uchiha thing or a Sasuke thing.

He really should know better than to flaunt his body in such a fashion. What made it even more vexing was the fact that Sasuke was completely unaware that he HAD been flaunting. That meant that Gaara was forced to suffer in silence.

"Lord Kazekage?" Sira calls out gently.

Sira was the Jonin who was currently giving his report. He was in his twenties and a competent ninja. The man was very even tempered and the Kazekage had never had a problem with him. That just made Gaara feel even more guilty about the fact that he had barely heard a word that the other ninja had said. He deserved more respect than this.

"Yes, Sira?" The young Kage replies.

"As I was saying, the mission was a complete success. Here is the report and oh this came in the mail from you. It's from Naruto Uzumaki." Sira informs him.

Gaara smiles and thanks him, before taking the letter. Sira nods and heads off. That was when the red head opened it and his blood ran cold at what he read.

 _ **Dear Gaara,**_

 _ **Hey! I hope things are going great in the Sand. Hinata and I are still on our Honeymoon! It's going amazing!**_

 _ **I was wondering about something. After our Honeymoon is over, maybe we could come visit for a bit. I'm really curious to see how Sasuke is settling in.**_

 _ **Love, Naruto**_

"Damn it." The Kazekage mutters under his breath.

The blonde was Gaara's best friend and normally, he would be delighted to see Naruto. This wasn't normally though. Sasuke was still settling in and still heartbroken because of Naruto. What made it even more unsettling was the fact that the blue eyed ninja had no idea that he had hurt the last Uchiha in such a vicious fashion.

"If I say no, he's going to realize that something is amiss. I suppose that I have no choice, but to speak with Sasuke on this matter." He says with a heavy sigh.

The only silver lining is that Naruto wouldn't be visiting immediately. Gaara didn't think that Sauke's heart was going to heal in a week or two, but at least the wound wouldn't be as fresh. He had half a mind to sit Naruto down and explain why the Uchiha needed to get away from the Leaf so badly, but he couldn't do it.

Gaara couldn't be that cruel to his best friend. It wasn't his fault that he was apparently oblivious to all things romantic in nature. That didn't change the fact that the Leaf Ninja had just put the Kazekage in a very difficult position.

"I have no idea how I'm going to break this news to him." He sighs again.

Back in the Leaf, Kakashi was feeding Pakkun and his other ninja dogs. It was a beautiful day and things were peaceful in the village. No one had a care in the world, well except for maybe Sakura.

He did feel bad for his former student. It was tough to realize that your first love wasn't your true love. Well that or at least it was unrequited from Sasuke's perspective. Either way, he could certainly sympathize with her plight.

"So how long do you think it will take Sasuke to notice the book?" The canine asks.

"Hmm. Well knowing Sasuke, he's only going to unpack the essentials first. I imagine that he'll be getting around to it shortly. It's a shame that I won't be there to see the expression on his face when he sees it." The silver haired ninja chuckles.

Pakkun smirks. Normally, he would say such antics were beneath a ninja of Kakashi's stature. Despite that fact, he couldn't help but find more than a little amusement in the CopyCat Ninja's latest prank.

"Do you think that he'll actually read it?" Pakkun asks.

"I'm not certain. Perhaps. There is a chance that curiosity might overwhelm him. I'm hopeful that will be the case. The man needs a push in the right direction." The Masked Ninja replies.

Pakkun nods. He hoped that would be the case for all their sakes. The last Uchiha didn't have a clear goal in mind anymore. Without one, well he might get bored or angry. Either result could potentially be disastrous.

"Remind me again how two males can have pups with each other? I really think that's the only way he's going settle down." The ninja dog inquires.

"It's a long story. Nevermind that. Eat your dinner and we'll go visit the Inuzuka's. Maybe we'll find you a nice playmate." Kakashi says with a wink.

Well that certainly brightened Pakkun's day. It had been awhile since had last run into a nice female. The Inuzukas certainly did have a lot of ninja dogs. Surely, one of them would make for a suitable _companion._

Kakashi chuckles at his friend's reaction. He really wished that it was that easy to make everyone happy. Sadly, humans were far more complicated than dogs.

Idly, he muses that Pakkun might be right. "Pups" might settle Sasuke down. It would give him something constructive to focus on and he did want to restore his Clan anyway.

"I wonder if Gaara would be agreeable to such a thing." He muses.

To Kakashi, it was obvious that the red head carried a torch for Sasuke. He had no idea how Sasuke hadn't noticed it yet. Normally, the last Uchiha was far more perceptive than that.

In the end, it might not matter. What mattered was whether or not Sasuke would eventually discover the Kazekage's feelings and what he would do about it. Would there be a happy ending or was this a tragedy in the making?

"I don't know. I've never heard the Kazekage talk about children one way or another." The canine replies.

"Oh damn. I really have to stop talking to myself. Come on, Pakkun. Let's go." Kakashi says with a smile as he scratches the dog's ears and they head off towards the Inuzuka Estate.

A few hours later, Sasuke arrives back at the Kazekage Mansion. He had been given a rather thorough tour of the Sand's Hospital and met a lot of people. The last Uchiha had always thought that he had a good memory, but he was damn sure he wasn't going to remember half of their names.

"Hey, Sasuke. Gaara's in his office. He wants to talk to you about something. It sounds important." Temari says as soon as he walks in.

"Oh. Alright. Thanks." Sasuke says as he heads down the hall towards Gaara's Office.

He was still getting used to finding his way around the village, but Sasuke already knew where the Kazekage's Office was. In a way, it amused him. After everything that he had done for Gaara, he had decided to save his ass. Multiple times. He still didn't know why though.

"Temari said that you needed to speak with me about something important." Sasuke says, once he was inside the red head's office.

"Yes, you may wish to sit down. This is likely going to come as a nasty shock to you. First though, I am curious to hear how your day went." The Kazekage says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. In a way, he was flattered that the other man cared enough to ask. He really didn't think now was the time though. The feisty blonde had made it sound like Gaara really needed to speak with him about something important.

"It was alright. Mostly the Head Medic gave me a tour and introduced me to a lot of people. What's going on though?" Sasuke demands.

"Good. Well it's a start anyway. I received a letter from Naruto today. He has expressed a desire to visit the Sand after his Honeymoon is over. I thought that it would be only proper to warn you. I know that seeing him again, will likely prove extremely difficult for you." The other man answers.

The Uchiha blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, that hadn't been it. In hindsight, he should have though.

Naruto didn't have any idea that he was in love with him. He didn't realize that this was like pouring salt into a fresh wound. It was unintentional cruelty.

"Thank you for warning me. It's alright. Let him come. If you reject his request, he's going to want to know why. Naruto would deserve to know why and I don't want him to know. It's pointless. He's married to someone else." Sasuke mutters.

"You know that he doesn't mean to hurt you, right?" Gaara asks.

"I'm aware of that. It's fine. Considering everything that I've done, I deserved this." He says.

Gaara shakes his head. He was familiar with this part of the process. Guilt. As Kankuro could say, it could be a bitch.

"Sasuke, none of what you did was solely your fault. There is plenty of blame to go around. That and honestly, I believe that the Leaf deserves a bigger share of the blame than you do." He says.

"How do you figure THAT?" Sasuke asks incredulously.

"You were a child. Your entire family had just been killed and what did they do? They left you alone and allowed you to live in the same place where your Clan was Massacred. That was at best horribly oblivious and at worst outright cruelty. Perhaps, if they had bothered to care for you and Naruto properly, things would never have gotten as bad as they did." The Kazekage reasons.

Sasuke blinks. He had never really thought about it. No one had offered to take him in after the Massacre. It had never occurred to him to ask either. Even at seven, he would have said that an Uchiha should live in the Uchiha District and that was that.

"Maybe. There is something that has been bothering me for awhile. Why are you doing all this? Why did you offer me a place in the Sand and why are you offering me this much sympathy? I don't deserve it. I almost killed you at the Kage Summit and I put your best friend through a lot of unnecessary pain. You should despise me." The raven haired ninja says.

"Sasuke, I could never despise you. I'm doing this because as I said many years ago and more recently at the Kage Summit, we are similar. It wasn't that long ago, that I was in your position. I was just coming out of the Darkness. Fortunately for me, I was made Kazekage during that time. That gave me a purpose. That's really all you need." The red head tells him.

 _"Sasuke, I could never despise you,"_ the Uchiha hears Gaara say and he mulls that over in his head for a minute. That sounded so sincere. The Kazekage actually cared about him and not just because he was Naruto's friend. This was apparently deeper than that.

"Well I still have a purpose. It's just going to take awhile to accomplish it. I should probably convince people that I'm not going to go on a bloodthirsty rampage, before I try to work on my second goal." He muses.

"Yes, that would be best. So that is still something you want?" The other man asks.

Sasuke nods. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to make that happen. In theory, he had the money. He could simply pay a surrogate for her troubles, but that didn't sit right with him.

The surrogate wouldn't be his child's mother or father. They would just be an incubator. While he was alright with that, he wanted his children to have two parents. Gender was irrelevant.

"It still is. Unfortunately, that's going to take awhile. For now, the only "child" I'll have in the near future is that damn meddling butterfly." Sasuke notes in amusement.

"Shame. I imagine an army of mini Uchihas would strike terror intro the hearts of the Daimyos and I would find that most amusing. I can't lie. I don't particularly care for the Daimyos." The Kazekage admits.

"Yes, they would and I can't blame you. They're utterly useless." Sasuke mutters and Gaara nods in agreement.

Gaara mentally sighs in relief. If Sasuke was feeling well enough to joke about the butterfly, then maybe things would be okay. Perhaps, Naruto's visit wouldn't end in disaster.

"Well that's what I wanted to warn you about." He says awkwardly.

"Alright. Thanks. I appreciate it. You can tell me if I'm getting too personal, but I am curious about something." The last Uchiha begins cautiously.

Gaara frowns. Sasuke was definitely uneasy about whatever he was about to ask him. That likely wasn't a good sign.

"You can ask me whatever is on your mind. I just can't promise that I'll be able to answer you." He says.

"Got it. You took the fact that I preferred men rather well. You even implied that it was fairly normal in the Sand Village. I was wondering which you preferred. Men or women?" Sasuke dares himself to ask.

He couldn't believe that he was actually asking. Still Gaara had been shockingly open towards him. Maybe the Kazekage wouldn't be offended by his person question.

"Do you even have a preference? I can understand if you aren't interested in pursuing any sort of romantic or physical intimacy at all though. It wasn't right what they put you through as a kid." Sasuke finishes.

The young Kage tries his best not to gape at Sasuke. He hoped his jaw wasn't open and that he didn't resemble a fish out of water at the moment. It was just that he was shocked that the other man would care enough to ask.

"It's accepted here. As I said, there are very few people who would raise serious objections about two men or two women being together. There was no reason for me to judge you harshly for liking other men. You are the first person to ask me that question though." He admits.

Sasuke nods. Well he knew a polite evasion when he saw it. Gaara was evading. He'd just leave it at that.

"Thanks. Well you don't have to answer. I think I'm going to call it a night." Sasuke says.

"I don't mind answering. I was just surprised that you asked. I like a soft bed, but I have no interest in a soft lover. I prefer men." Gaara tells him.

Sasuke does a doubletake. He didn't expect the red head to actually answer him. Gaara's casual reaction towards his feelings about Naruto had implied that he might share the same preference, but Sasuke had never thought that he would admit it.

"Well that's certainly an interesting way to put it." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Thank you. I do try to be original and tactful in my replies." He responds.

"You succeed. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your secret. You've kept mine. It's only right that I would do the same for you." Sasuke assures him.

Gaara shrugs. Truly, it didn't matter to him. He was a Kage. What were people really going to do, if they found out that he wasn't attracted to women? Attack him? The very idea was laughable.

"While I am grateful for your thoughtfulness, it's not necessary. I do not particularly care if others know. It's just that no one had ever thought to ask me before. They all assumed that I liked women or they simply didn't care enough to ask. Though on second thought, I suppose it is possible that they simply were worried about offending me." Gaara reasons.

"That could be true. Few would dare risking the wrath of a Kage to satisfy their curiosity." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Well I am glad that I could satisfy you. Goodnight, Sasuke. Sleep well." He says.

"Goodnight, Gaara." Sasuke says as he heads off and then blinks when the other man's words fully sunk in.

 _"Well I am glad that I could satisfy you,"_ could easily be taken the wrong way. Did Gaara mean that the way that it sounded? The red head had just said that he preferred men, but that didn't necessarily mean that he preferred him.

 _Poke._ As Sasuke was heading back to his room and internally debating the matter, he felt something poke his forehead. He rubs it and then looks at his hand. Inside it was a now very familiar purple butterfly.

"I must be going crazy." He mutters as he carries the beautiful creature back to his room and quickly takes out a box.

He does a minor Earth jutsu and has grass and a few flowers appear in the box. He knew that butterflies drank flower nectar. With that in mind, he closes the lid of the box and drills some air holes inside it.

"There. That's better. Now I just have to figure out if you're really Itachi and if Gaara actually wants me." He says and sighs.

That was certainly easier than done. The direct approach wouldn't work with Gaara and it wasn't like the butterfly could actually talk. Oh well. He was an Uchiha. Uchihas never gave up.


	8. Chapter 8

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Naruto has absolutely no tact. Hopefully, people will find that more funny than offensive.

Chapter 8

"I swear that I'm going to kill him." Sasuke mutters in disbelief, over a week later.

Sasuke had innocently reading through some of his medical texts when it happened. The last Uchiha had taken to stuffing his medical books inside his traveling bags because it was just easier to find them that way. Today, something unexpected had happened when he reached for his books though.

"Damn Kakashi and his meddling. You've got to be kidding me. I can't believe that man ever graduated from the Academy, let alone that he used to be my Sensei!" He growls under his breath in disgust as he glances at the erotic literature that was now in his hands.

A familiar orange book had fallen out of his bag. He recognized it instantly as being the "spinoff series" of Jirayia's books. They were rather similar to what the Toad Sage had written, but they catered to a different audience.

This writer was clearly writing for a mostly male audience. More specifically, he was writing for a very specific group of men. Men who were attracted to other men.

"You're laughing at me, aren't you?" Sasuke demands of the butterfly when he saw the box begin to shake.

This had to be the most persistent butterfly that he had ever met. Not only had it followed him from the Leaf to the Sand, it was constantly trying to escape from its box. Sasuke wasn't sure whether to be amused or worried about how determinedly the butterfly was trying to escape.

The butterfly just flies around rather excitedly in its cage in response. Oh yes, it had come to this. Sasuke Uchiha was being mocked by a freaking butterfly. If Itachi could see him, he would be laughing his ass off at his foolish little brother.

"Great. Just great. Whatever. Kakashi is a pervert. No surprise there." He observes as he examines the book more closely.

Sasuke blinks when he notices the cover had a picture of a red head and a black haired man on it. It was rather suggestive to put it mildly. Damn Kakashi.

"He's not very subtle for a ninja." Sasuke says with a groan as he heads off to greet Gaara, Naruto, and Hinata.

Today was the day that he had been dreading. The other man's Honeymoon was now over and Sasuke was going to see him for the first time since the wedding. With that in mind, Sasuke sighs once more and tries to mentally brace himself for what was likely going to be a very long day.

"There's my favorite bastard!" Naruto says with a grin when Sasuke makes his way over to them.

They were at a café. Sasuke had become familiar with it. Gaara rather liked this one because it sold the Kazekage's favorite food. Strawberry muffins. Apparently, strawberry muffins were to Gaara what ramen was to Naruto.

"And there's my favorite loser." Sasuke says as he sits down next to Gaara.

"It's good to see you." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

"It's good to see you as well." Sasuke tells her as he hopes that she couldn't tell that he was lying through his teeth.

Really, he didn't have anything against Hinata. She'd never done anything to him. Well other than "steal" the man he loved, but even that wasn't intentional. It was just that the wound was still fresh and he didn't want the fact that Naruto was happily married thrown in his face so blatantly. They hadn't even been married for a month. Shouldn't they be back in the Leaf, picking out a house with a white picket fence or something?

"Wow. Gaara. That's impressive. I think you actually taught the bastard some manners. I've been trying to do that for years. What's your secret?" Naruto says cheerfully.

 _I actually listen to him,_ Gaara thinks to himself. He knew that he couldn't say that though. There was no way that wouldn't hurt Naruto's feelings or that he wouldn't take that the wrong way. Some diplomacy was called for.

"I don't have a secret, but I believe that the change in scenery agrees with him." Gaara replies vaguely.

He couldn't exactly tell Naruto the truth. The red head strongly suspected that Sasuke was happier in the Sand because his villagers didn't stare at him like a bomb that was about to go off. Obviously, they were still a bit wary of the last Uchiha. Despite that, they weren't nearly skittish or hateful towards him as the Leaf Villagers were.

"Oh right. So everything is going good then? I mean you're settling in nicely and everything?" Naruto asks Sasuke brightly.

 _Flee, fight, or fuck,_ Gaara muses to himself. Essentially, Leaf Villagers reacted to Sasuke in one of three ways. The largest group were simply terrified of him and wanted to run as far away from the former S Class Criminal as possible. Next, there was the Fight Group. They wanted to fight Sasuke. Either to prove their own strength or because they were angry about his previous "betrayals." Finally, there was the last group. They lusted after him.

"Yeah. I'm settling in. I'm even training in a new ninja specialization." Sasuke tells Naruto.

Every once in awhile, you would get Leaf Villagers who actually wanted to do all three. Those were the ones that irritated Gaara the most. He viewed them as dangerous really. Sakura was the most prominent example that came to mind when he thought of this group.

"That's wonderful news, Sasuke! What specialization are you looking into?" Hinata asks kindly.

Gaara smiles. Well if nothing else, Naruto had good tastes. Hinata was a kind and strong woman. Personally, she was a little too nice for his tastes. Still he was happy that his friend was happy and that the Hyuga woman was being cordial with Sasuke.

"I'm training to become a medic. They haven't let me actually try out any of the medical jutsus yet though. Apparently, it generally takes 1-10 years to become a medic." Sasuke muses and Naruto chokes on his ramen.

"Wait! What?! Sasuke is going to be a medic?!" Naruto sputters as he tries to stop choking on his food.

"I don't know yet. I'm just reading the medical texts at the moment. Maybe though." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Naruto blinks. He left Sasuke alone for a couple weeks and suddenly he was pursuing a COMPLETELY different career path. He had no idea how Sasuke was going to go from being a combat ninja to a medic. It was just so different than what he normally associated with Sasuke.

Sasuke was a powerhouse. He could probably level entire villages by himself. The man was born and bred for combat. The only way that they could really communicate with each other effective was through fighting. It was hard for the blonde imagine trading in his kunais for First Aid Kits.

"Wait till Sakura hears about this. She's never going to believe it. Wow. Do you like it? I know you just started, but do you really think that you could give up being out in the field?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"Yes, I imagine that Sakura will have a lot to say about my possibly becoming a medic. It's mostly just reading at this point. I already knew some of it. At least this way I can be useful and like Gaara said, it'll probably go a long way towards making the other Sand Villagers feel more comfortable around me. It'll be good to have people associate my abilities with something other than destruction for once." He answers.

Naruto blinks as he considers all that. Well when Sasuke put it that way, he had a good point. Though privately, the blonde was a little surprised. The bastard seemed to take what Gaara suggested seriously.

Maybe it wasn't one-sided. Maybe they were already together. Well he supposed that there was only one way to find out. He'd have to push them to their breaking point.

"Ah that's a good point. So I thought it was really funny that you two caught the flowers at our wedding. You know since the two of you are both guys." Naruto says cheerfully.

At that moment, Sasuke chokes on one of the strawberry muffins that Gaara had so generously shared with him. Damn it! This couldn't be happening! Not now!

"The odds were slim that two men would catch the flowers, but it's not that unusual." Gaara says tactfully.

"So I asked Kakashi about it. He says that sometimes two men or two women can be together. You know like how Hinata and I are together." The blonde continues "innocently."

Hinata blinks at her husband. She had no idea why Naruto was talking about such things. Not that she particularly minded, but this wasn't a conversation that would end well.

The Kazekage would likely be embarrassed or offended and Sasuke certainly would. She couldn't imagine any way that Naruto's curious inquiries would in anything other than a fight. Why didn't he just ask her about these things, if he was confused? Bringing them up in front of Sasuke and Gaara was just a recipe for disaster.

"Yes, that does happen sometimes. It's fairly common in the Sand actually. I'd say maybe one out of every ten couples falls into those categories." Gaara replies tactfully.

He could sense that Sasuke was ready to come up with an excuse to bolt and mentally sighs. Things would be much easier, if Naruto knew about the Uchiha's feelings for him. At least that way, the blonde wouldn't unintentionally keep slamming a kunai into the other man's heart.

Gaara shoots him a subtle, reassuring smile and quickly places his hand on Sasuke's thigh. He couldn't place it on his shoulder. If he did that, Naruto would know something was wrong. So while it was more intimate than the Uchiha was probably going to be comfortable with, Gaara decides to do it anyway.

"Oh. How does that work? I mean just as a matter of mechanics? When two guys are together, how do they figure out who takes the lead?" Naruto inquires.

Sasuke was torn between punching Naruto and trying not to choke on his meal. At the moment, he settles on glaring at the blonde though. How could anyone who had traveled with Jirayia and Kakashi be so naïve?!

"Well as is the case with men and women who are together, it varies couple to couple. There are also some lovers that alternate. Sometimes one takes the lead and sometimes the other one does." Gaara replies calmly.

"Oh. That makes sense. I was wondering if maybe the bigger one took the lead, the older one, or if it just went based on looks. I mean look at Sasuke." The Leaf Ninja says.

"What is THAT supposed to mean?!" Sasuke demands.

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. As expected, this conversation was rapidly taking a dangerous turn. She believed that Sasuke was sincerely trying to turn his life around, but Naruto really shouldn't wave red in front of a bull like that.

"Nothing. Thank you two for the lovely lunch. Perhaps we should be off though? We still need to book a room at a hotel." She reminds Naruto.

"Well I just mean you're kinda like Haku. You're prettier than most women. No one is more beautiful than Hinata, but come on. You are way too pretty to be a guy." Naruto says.

That was it! The Uchiha couldn't take it anymore! His pride had been insulted, one too many times!

It was one thing for Naruto to marry someone else. He could understand that, but did the blonde have to mock him like this?! Naruto had just called him _**pretty**_ _?!_ Fuck that!

"You are such a loser!" Sasuke snarls as he lunges at Naruto.

Luckily for the Jinchuuriki, Gaara managed to form a Sand Shield in front of Naruto just in time. It was a close call though. That was one angry Uchiha.

"Sasuke, he was only teasing you. I'm certain that Naruto doesn't doubt your masculinity." The Kazekage says, trying to reason with the other man.

"Yeah. I was just teasing you! Whoa. Sasuke, you need to calm down. Sheesh! People are staring!" The blonde says.

Sasuke bites his lower lip so hard that he knew it was bleeding. It was taking all his self-control not to start screaming obscenities and hurling Jutsus at his best friend.

He had to remind himself over and over again that this was someone he cared about. Someone that he couldn't hurt. No matter how much Naruto unintentionally hurt him, he couldn't return the favor.

"Gaara, what time is it?" Sasuke asks.

"A little after noon. Why?" The Kazekage replies warily.

"I'm late for my medic lessons. I'll see the three of you later." Sasuke lies as he disappears in a swirl of flames.

Gaara groans and smacks his forehead. He couldn't believe that had actually just happened. How could Naruto be so tactless.

"Um I guess lunch is over. It's on me. I'm really sorry about upsetting Sasuke. I didn't think that he'd take it that personally. I was just kidding." Naruto says.

"Yes, I think now would be a good time to end lunch. I know that you didn't mean to upset him, Naruto. He'll get over it. Eventually. Though I would recommend avoiding him for the rest of your visit, unless you want to be Chidoried." The red head warns him.

"Yeah. I'll definitely do that. Damn it. I feel horrible." The Leaf Ninja says as he pays for their meal and heads off with Hinata.

Later that night, Gaara knocks on the door of the hotel room that Naruto and Hinata were staying in. From what he knew about the Hyuga (well Uzumaki) Princess, she tended to go to sleep before Naruto. Naruto was something of a night owl.

"Oh hey, Gaara! Glad you stopped by. Can I get you anything?" The blonde asks.

"No. I'm good. We need to talk." The Kazekage says.

"Yeah. I know. It's about Sasuke. Sorry. I shouldn't have pushed that hard. I just had to know. Come on in. We can talk in the living room." He says as he opens the door and lets the other man in.

Gaara nods and sighs. He knew that he was going to have to be very blunt, perhaps even vicious. Unfortunately, Naruto always had to do things the hard way.

"I know that you don't realize it, but you were being unintentionally cruel to him." The young Kage says.

"What? I was just joking around about his looks. I didn't mean hurt his feelings. I never thought that Sasuke would be so sensitive about that type of thing. If that's the case, I'll go apologize to him right now." Naruto says.

"No, Naruto. It's not about that. It's just that Sasuke was finally starting to settle in here. Maybe it would be best, if you waited awhile before you came here or had him come to you when he's ready. I love you, my friend. I would gladly give my life for you, but you're hurting him. How is he supposed to ever start over when the past won't let him?" Gaara asks.

He couldn't tell Naruto the whole truth. Sasuke would never forgive him, but maybe he could get away with part of the truth. He had to try.

The red head knew that he was being selfish, but he couldn't help it. At the moment, he wanted Naruto to leave. He wanted the blonde to be out of sight and out of mind, when it came to Sasuke. How was the Uchiha ever going to love HIM, if he was still in love with Naruto?

"I guess that's a good point. I'm sorry. I had no idea. I know that I was pushing, but I wanted to see how the two of you would react. I saw that look that you gave him at the wedding." Naruto confesses.

Gaara's eyes widen in horror. How could the man who hadn't realized that Sasuke was in love with him for years, notice his own affections for the Uchiha so quickly?! It didn't make any sense.

"I won't insult your intelligence by pretending that I don't know what you are talking about, but I must ask you not to tell him. He's not ready. Sasuke is still trying to find himself. He's not ready for a relationship and that's assuming that he would ever return my feelings in the first place." He says.

"Whoa. I didn't think that you'd be so open about it. So he doesn't know then? I was wondering if maybe you two were already together. I didn't mean to offend you guys, but I really don't get how that works." Naruto says.

"You don't have to get how it works. You're married to Hinata. You chose her. You didn't choose him. I did. He might not feel the same way, but at least I can love him the way that he wants to be loved!" Gaara snaps at him.

As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, the red head immediately regretted them. Not only his words, but his tone. This wasn't Naruto's fault. He just didn't know and it wasn't like he was trying to take Sasuke away from him.

That was ridiculous. Naruto was happily married and didn't even like men. It was only Sasuke's feelings for the blonde that were the problem. Not Naruto himself.

"Easy. Easy. Gaara, your sand is kinda lashing around. You might want to calm down. I love him, but only like a brother. Wait. Are you saying that Sasuke LIKES me? He likes me THAT way?" Naruto asks as he falls over onto the couch in shock.

"Yes, Naruto. I don't think that I will ever fully understand the way that your mind works. You were easily able to pick up on my feelings for him, but not on his feelings for you. That doesn't even make any sense." Gaara mutters bitterly.

The blonde blinks. He couldn't believe it. Sasuke was in love with him. How as that even possible? How could he not notice?!

"But he seemed fine at the wedding? If he was really in love with me, wouldn't he have been more upset?" Naruto asks.

"He used a Genjutsu. It created the illusion of a happy face. He didn't want to ruin your wedding. He loves you enough to let you go. You should do the same for him. Give him a chance to start over." The Kazekage says.

That's when Naruto's eyes narrow. He knew that it was unlikely that the other man had any malicious intent behind his actions, but apparently they weren't motivated purely by altruism either. Gaara hadn't just invited Sasuke to the Sand to offer him a fresh start. That might have been part of it, but he had really done it because he was in love with the last Uchiha.

"So you wanted to bring him to the Sand so that he'd forget about me and hopefully return your feelings?" Naruto asks with more than a little suspicion in his voice.

"Yes! No! It's complicated. I invited him to the Sand because he was miserable in the Leaf Village. I hope that he'll eventually return my feelings, but I would certainly never force the issue!" Gaara seethes at the blonde.

How DARE he try to imply that he was some sort of vulture?! That he was just waiting to swoop in and kidnap Sasuke or something. Naruto made it sound so much more devious and manipulative than it was! Yes, he wanted Sasuke to love him back. He just would never trick him into doing so!

"I'm sorry. You're right. That was out of line. You wouldn't do something like that. You wouldn't take advantage of someone like that. I'm sorry. It's just that this is all really hard to believe." Naruto whispers.

"I don't know if I accept your apology at the moment. I mean it though, Naruto. If you care about him at all, you'll give him a chance to start over. I can make him happy as his lover or at least less miserable as his Kazekage. You can't give him that. You have Hinata. Isn't that enough?!" The Sand Villager asks.

"Whoa! Whoa! I'm not into him that way. I don't think that I could ever be attracted to a guy like that. Hinata is MORE than enough for me. She's amazing and I love her. I mean I guess if I was into guys, I'd probably like him that way. I'm not though. Well at least I don't think that I am." Naruto says thoughtfully.

Gaara sighs and tries to resist the urge to Sand Coffin his best friend. He really wasn't helping his case. Naruto was fortunate that the Kazekage could translate his babbling.

Naruto didn't like men. Well at least he possibility that he did was rather slim. Assuming that he was attracted to both genders, he was already married to Hinata. Naruto was many things, but he wasn't an adulterer. He wouldn't cheat on Hinata.

On some level, Gaara knew that he was being ridiculous. The blonde didn't want Sasuke. He wasn't going to try to "steal" Sasuke from him. That and the Uchiha had never really been his to begin with.

"Good. Well I think that this has been a productive, though unpleasant conversation. I'll see you later, Naruto." The red head says.

"Yeah. I really am sorry about this. I had no idea. I'd like to apologize to the bastard, but I think that would just make things worse." Naruto admits.

"You're right. It would. The best cure for wounds like this is time. I just hope that you'll give him that." Gaara says as he disappears in a swirl of sand.

Meanwhile Sasuke had teleported off to one of the Sand's Training Grounds. He slams his fist and legs into the poor, defenseless training posts. It was very satisfying to watch them completely shatter into thousands of tiny pieces with every strike.

"At least I finally have control over something." He mutters.

Sasuke had just realized one very important fact. Until very recently, he had had no control over his life. When he was a small child, he would had done anything to please family. Afterwards, they were massacred because of a coup they had planned without his knowledge. Most of his life was built upon either outright deception or secrets.

Once he got back to the Leaf, people had been terrified or angry with him. He knew that they had every right to be, but that too was a way to control him. They took away his chance of healing. It was out of his hands.

"If it wasn't for Gaara, I'd still be there." He growls as he punches another post and smashes it.

He'd still be in the Leaf Village. Sasuke would still have to endure the hateful, fearful, and lustful looks. He'd still be watching the man he loved be happy with someone else.

"He calls me the bastard, but Naruto is the REAL bastard. It doesn't matter that he didn't intend to be." Sasuke snarls as he kicks another post, causing it to break into hundreds of small pieces.

True, he still had people staring at him in the Sand. Thankfully, they were at least more subtle about it and their stares weren't nearly as strong. He partially attributed that to the Binding Ceremony and partially because his actions hadn't impacted them as directly as they had the Leaf Village.

As Sasuke was pondering this, he felt a now familiar poke to his forehead. The Uchiha blinks and groans when he realizes it was that damn purple butterfly again. How the Hell had it even gotten out?

"A ninja butterfly. Great. Just what I need." He mutters and scowls when the butterfly pokes him AGAIN.

Sasuke was just about to give the butterfly a piece of his mind, when a swirl of sand appeared. Once the sand dissipated, the last Uchiha saw Gaara. He didn't know whether to be relieved or embarrassed.

"I thought that I might find you here. It's been a long day. Let's go home." He says simply.

Gaara knew that pity would only make Sasuke angry. He also didn't want to address the events of the day directly. That would only make him sad again.

No the best way to deal with Sasuke was to avoid the issue and offer him companionship. Sasuke really was like a leopard, he muses to himself again. If he felt threatened, he would either show his teeth or dart up a metaphorical tree. Gaara didn't want either of those things to happen, so he decides to tread very carefully.

"You're right. It has." Sasuke says as he takes the red head's hand and they teleport off.

Home. He had a home now, Sasuke thinks to himself. He had something that was just his. The Sand had nothing to do with his Clan, Itachi, Orochimaru, Obito, or even Naruto. He had a new home.

Maybe if he was lucky, he really could start over. Maybe, he could be happy here. Naruto was never going to love him. That much was clear, but he had been given something almost as precious as the blonde's love. A fresh start. _**Poke!**_

"Yes, Itachi. I know. I really would be your foolish little brother, if I didn't make the most out of this opportunity." Sasuke whispers.

He didn't know if the butterfly was actually Itachi reincarnated. Maybe it didn't matter. The butterfly sure acted like him. Maybe that was enough.

"I'm sorry, what?" Gaara asks Sasuke in confusion.

"Nothing. It's nothing. I'll go make dinner. It seems like the least I can do. That and your siblings can't cook. At all." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Well they were trained to be ninjas, not chefs. That much is certainly true though. They're completely hopeless in the kitchen." Gaara agrees with a smirk.


	9. Chapter 9

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place six months after the last one. I looked this up. Apparently, Gaara's sand is partially resistant to Amatersau. I'm not sure to what degree it is resistant though. So hopefully this is cannon, if not please go with it.

 **Prisoner of Love:** The generic title that I assigned to Gaara's favorite book. It is not meant to be a reference to any actual existing books and obviously, I make no profit off of the name.

Chapter 9

Six months later and that damn butterfly was still stalking him, Sasuke muses to himself. He had given up on trying to capture it and keeping it inside the box that he had made for it. The last Uchiha could capture the butterfly, but it would never stay captured. Like Itachi, it refused to make things easy for him. It would likely forever remain an enigma to Sasuke, just like its namesake.

"I guess you're here to stay." Sasuke mutters to himself as he flips another page in the book Kakashi had given him and tries to ignore the fact that a butterfly was poking him in his forehead _**AGAIN.**_

He had promised himself that he wasn't actually going to read it. Eventually though, curiosity won out. The author had even included some ever so helpful pictures here and there. Not that Sasuke's imagination needed the help, but he had always been a visual learner. (It was an Uchiha thing.)

"Kakashi still isn't subtle." He observes.

It wasn't hard to tell who the red head and the black haired man in this story were supposed to represent. When the CopyCat Ninja had said that Gaara wanted to be friends, apparently Kakashi had meant a very SPECIAL kind of friend. More precisely, the kind of friend that would ravish you in their office.

He flips another page and reads more. Sasuke couldn't believe this. He was reading an erotic novel. Oh well. As long as no one found out, it didn't really matter. With that in mind, Sasuke continues reading.

 _Raiden shoves Kenji onto his office desk, causing the raven haired man to smile as he wraps his legs around the red head's waist. The politician returns Kenji's smile and captures his lips in a heated kiss. As always, it was pure bliss and it didn't take them long to tear each other's clothes off._

 _"Feels so good." Kenji murmurs, after breaking the kiss._

 _"It'll feel even better soon." Raiden purrs seductively into Kenji's ear._

 _His hand slid over the curve of the of the other man's hips suggestively. Kenji kisses Raiden's neck as the red head's hand got closer and closer to its real target. It didn't take long for his hand to find it and soon both men were lost in the throws of passion._

Sasuke shivers. Well now he knew why Kakashi read this stuff. Assuming that the original version was similar to this one, it he could easily see why the silver haired man getting distracted by this smut.

That's when his clock beeps and Sasuke sighs as the stupid object snaps him out of his daydream. Damn it. He had to get ready for his shift at the hospital.

"I'll be back later, Itachi. Don't fly away." Sasuke mutters as he quickly changes into medic uniform.

Gaara had been right when he said that the Sharingan would make learning to become a medic easier. Sasuke had graduated the medic program in five months. Ayume told him that was a new record.

He smirks. While he never would have entertained the possibility of becoming a Medic without Gaara, Sasuke did take some pride in that fact. He was still a naturally competitive individual. So the fact that he had graduated the program faster than anyone else, well it made him feel a bit smug.

Itachi, the butterfly, pokes Sasuke in the forehead. Some days, the last Uchiha really was convinced that the beautiful insect really was his brother's reincarnation. Other days, the raven haired ninja started to worry for his sanity. Either way, he supposed this was what having a pet felt like.

"Yes, I promise. I'll be home in a few hours." Sasuke assures the mysterious creature.

Every single day when he came home, he knew that Itachi would be waiting for him. The butterfly would greet him with a forehead poke and wait impatiently for Sasuke to make some more flowers bloom in that box. Sasuke had stopped putting a lid on it. Itachi was going to come and go as he pleased, apparently. The lid was pointless.

With that, Sasuke teleports off to the hospital. He had been a medic for a month now and he was getting more used to it. Apparently, the female medics were now very much used to him. Now that they realized that he had "put down roots," the Uchiha had to ignore A LOT of giggling and eyelash fluttering.

"Good morning, Sasuke." Ayume says with a smile as she walks over to the Sand's newest medic.

"Good morning, Ayume." He replies.

Sasuke supposed that he could put up with some flirtation now and then. Really, it was the least of his problems in the Sand Village at the moment. Well that and he wasn't really sure where he stood with Gaara.

The Kazekage clearly did favor him to an extent. It was just hard to tell if he favored him because of his skills or because Kakashi was right. Maybe the red head did have a thing for him. If Gaara did like him, he certainly wasn't a pushy suitor. Probably because he knew what had happened (or what hadn't happened) with Naruto, Sasuke thinks to himself.

"Well today, I just need you to help us with some checkups. I would put you on vaccinations, but you're still so new. It might be better for you to practice some more on the testing dummies before you start going around and poking people with needles." The middle aged woman says sweetly.

 _Translation, some of our patients are still uncomfortable about the idea of you wielding a sharp object around them. So could you please humor us and do physicals instead,_ the last Uchiha thinks to himself. Well if nothing else, he had to admire Ayume's tact.

"I don't mind doing the physicals and you're right. Maybe some more practice would be good." Sasuke says with a wink.

"I'm glad that you understand. Well I have to get started on those vaccinations. If you need anything, page me." She says with a quiet laugh as she bounds off.

Sasuke figured that she was laughing because he winked. He didn't mind winking at Ayume. She was a happily married, mother of three. That and she actually knew that he preferred men.

It was a strange sensation for Sasuke, but Ayume was probably his first friend who he hadn't faced in combat and who wasn't related to him. It was nice to be able to actually have a conversation with someone who didn't despise you, want to use you, and didn't want to fight you. (Well actually that camp now included Ayume, Gaara, and maybe Itachi.)

"Though I'm not really sure, if I should count the butterfly." Sasuke muses as heads into his office to meet with his first patient for the day.

Meanwhile Naruto was back in the Leaf Village and checking his mail. The blonde smiles when he realizes that he had gotten a letter from the Sand. It had to be from Sasuke because it didn't have the official Kazekage Seal on it.

"You seem happy." Hinata observes as she walks over to her husband and kisses his cheek.

"Yeah. I just got a letter from Sasuke." He says brightly.

"Oh that's good. I'm glad that you two have patched things up. I know that our last visit to the Sand, didn't go so well." The bluenette observes.

Naruto nods. That was putting it mildly. He still couldn't completely wrap his mind around the fact that Gaara was interested in men. More specifically, he was VERY interested in Sasuke. He sometimes wondered, if the Kazekage would ever tell Sasuke about his feelings for the other man.

"Yeah. You could say that. Are you heading out?" He asks curiously.

"Yes, I'm going to visit my father. I'd invite you, but it's more of a father-daughter day." The lavender eyed woman says with a sheepish smile.

"Oh no! That's fine. I get it. I totally get it. Have fun!" Naruto says with a grin.

Hinata smiles and nods as she heads off. Naruto shuts the door behind her and opens his letter. He wasn't surprised when doing so proved him right. It really was from Sasuke.

 _ **Dear Loser,**_

 _ **I completed my medical training last month. Ayume, the Head Medic, says that five months was the fastest that anyone has ever completed their program. I know that you wouldn't have been able to do it because you have the attention span of a gnat.**_

 _ **Anyway, things are going alright here. The Sand Villagers are still a bit wary of me. I think they are slowly getting used to me though.**_

 _ **How are you? What are Kakashi and Sakura up to? Has Hinata actually managed to get you to eat something other than ramen for a change, yet?**_

 _ **Sasuke.**_

"Well I guess by Sasuke's standards, that's happy." Naruto laughs.

As much as he hated to admit it, Gaara might have been right. It looked like the last Uchiha needed his space. Maybe their relationship had never really been that healthy.

He loved Sasuke like a brother and he'd die for him, but that kind of emotional intensity had a way of burning them both. They hurt each other a lot without meaning to. That was the central theme of their relationship.

"Now I know why though. He wanted more from me and I just didn't notice. I guess it does explain a lot though. He could have killed me, but he never did. A whim, my ass." He grumbles.

The blonde remembered Sasuke saying so clearly that he had only spared Naruto's life on a whim. Now he knew what that whim was really code for. Love.

He still didn't really understand how two men could physically be together. Naruto could understand them caring about each other and loving each other emotionally. He just wasn't really sure about the mechanics.

"Still not entirely sure how that would work, but I would have topped. I don't care what that bastard says. He's way too pretty to be a guy." The blue eyed ninja mutters as he begins to compose his reply letter.

He loved Hinata with all his heart, but he had wondered about it. If Sasuke had told him how he felt, what would he have done. He wasn't entirely sure.

He probably would have been too shocked to do anything. That likely would have set Sasuke off. That or maybe he would have at least tried. Whether or not that would have ended well, he wasn't really sure.

"Doesn't matter now. I have Hinata and I guess Sasuke sorta has Gaara. Whether he knows it or not." The blonde says to himself.

Naruto still wasn't happy about how he and Gaara had left things. The Kazekage was his friend too. He had never wanted to upset him.

He understood why the red head had said what he did. He was frustrated and hurt. The worst thing of all though was that the other ninja had been right. Gaara was making Sasuke happier than he ever had.

"Well maybe happy is a stretch. It IS Sasuke. Though I guess the fact that the Sand Village is still in one piece should be taken as a good sign." Naruto chuckles as he finishes his letter and sends it off with a messenger hawk.

A few hours later, Sasuke comes home and notices that Gaara seemed shocked about something. Curious, the last Uchiha walks over to him. What the Hell could possibly shock someone like the Kazekage?

"You alright?" He asks, wondering why Gaara was in his room in the first place.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I heard a rattle and came to investigate. It was a rattlesnake. Naturally, I sent it away." The other man says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Somehow he had a hard time believing that this was just about a snake. Gaara didn't strike him as the type of person who would be afraid of the misunderstood reptiles.

"That was nice of you. I appreciate not coming home and finding a rattlesnake in my bed. Did it bite you or something?" He asks in confusion.

Gaara certainly didn't seem to be suffering from a snake bite, but you never knew. Who knew how thorough his sand was. Maybe it was combating the venom somehow?

"No. I well it's nothing." He says quickly.

That just piped Sasuke's curiosity further. The Kazekage had said that just a little too quickly. It made the last Uchiha suspicious. That's when he saw what Gaara's "problem" was.

Kakashi's damn book was laying on the bed. It was laying right where Gaara could see it. Damn it! That was so embarrassing!

"I swear that this isn't what it looks like." Sasuke says.

"Uchiha, you're a grown man. Your taste in literature is your own concern." The young Kage replies awkwardly.

"No! No! It's not like that. Kakashi was being Kakashi! He slipped the book into my bag. That's all." The Uchiha protests!

Gaara looks at Sasuke skeptically. Sasuke was grateful that the red head didn't actually roll his eyes, but it was implied. He knew exactly what the other man was thinking.

If Kakashi had left the book inside his bag, why didn't he get rid of it? Why didn't he get rid of it months ago? Sasuke had been caught red-handed and they both knew it.

"I'm not judging. I think that we've both made it clear that we prefer men. So it's not exactly shocking." Gaara assures him.

"Alright. Maybe I was reading it a little bit. I was curious. I mean I know it's not written by Jirayia, but it's a spinoff series. So I wanted to see what was so damn fascinating about them." The raven haired man defends himself.

He wasn't entirely certain if Gaara was buying his flimsy excuses or not. If he wasn't, at least Kazekage was polite enough not to say anything. That was the nice thing about Gaara. He actually thought before he spoke, unlike a certain lovable, dumb blonde.

"I recognize that one. It's quite good, though I prefer _**Prisoner of Love**_ myself. It's a personal preference really." Gaara muses.

Sasuke just stares at the red head. He couldn't believe that the other man actually read the series. Apparently, he read it enough to have a favorite book.

"You don't really need to look so shocked. I told you that I preferred men." The red head says.

"Well yeah, but I didn't think that meant that you read erotic literature about the subject." Sasuke says.

"Everyone at least glances at it once or twice. I suppose that I should take this as a good sign though." The Kazekage observes.

Sasuke couldn't exactly argue with that logic. Despite that fact, he was surprised that Gaara was actually admitting to it. That and now he was curious about the _ **Prisoner of Love**_ book in the series.

"I guess that's true. Well thanks for getting rid of the snake. Though you know that I have a summon contract with them, right? I'm not scared of snakes. Venomous or not." Sasuke informs him.

"I'm certain that you aren't. There doesn't seem to be much that scares you. Well other than intimacy." The red head says.

The Uchiha felt his eyes narrow. Gaara hadn't said it in a way that that suggested the other man had intended to insult him, but that comment still cut. Bastard.

"I'm not afraid of intimacy." He retorts.

"I'm not insulting you. I'm just stating a fact. You have valid reasons to be cautious when it comes to love and lust. It's just rather obvious that you are being so." He says with a shrug as he turns to leave.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. He liked Gaara. The other man had done A LOT for him, but that was too far.

The Uchiha grabs Gaara by the arm and immediately gets pushed back by some sand. He falls back on the bed and before he could get up, he found himself restrained by sandcuffs.

"Sasuke, you really shouldn't try to grab me like that. My sand reacts instinctively sometimes." He warns him.

"And your instinct was to put me in fucking handcuffs?! AMATERSAU!" Sasuke says as he tries to burn the cuffs off.

"And that won't work. Well at least not right away. Remember my sand is partially resistant because of the chakra infused inside it. If I let you go, are you going to do something stupid?" The red head asks.

Sasuke blinks away some blood from his eye. That was an annoying aspect of Amatersau. It made one of your eyes bleed.

"Fine, I won't grab you like that again. You just can't say something like that and not expect me to react though." He mutters as he extinguishes the flames.

"You're right. That wasn't fair." Gaara says as he releases Sasuke from the sandcuffs.

"You're right. It wasn't. Explain THAT comment." He growls.

Gaara sighs. He had dreaded this moment. The Kazekage wasn't entirely certain that he'd be able to "dodge" this time. Every other time, he had been able change topics whenever Sasuke got too close to realizing that the red head was in love with him.

"It's obvious that you are wary about physical and emotional intimacy. I understand why. You've been hurt. You've been hurt a lot. I think that we both know that you could easily find a lover though." He begins cautiously.

Gaara waits for a moment or two before continuing. Thus far, it didn't look like Sasuke was going to interrupt him. That meant that he could finally say what had been on his mind for months.

"If you wanted one, you could find one. You're in the Sand Village. Your preferences are perfectly accepted here. So you can't tell me that it's because you are worried about your reputation." The Kazekage reasons.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

It took him several minutes to finally get over his shock. He didn't know what to say to that at first. So he fell back into a familiar self-defense mechanism of him. Deflection.

"You seem to have given the topic of who I take to my bed a disturbing amount of thought." The Uchiha observes.

He fully expected that to shut Gaara up. Sasuke expected that would turn the tables on the other man. The last Uchiha was feeling rather pleased by his own cleverness, until he heard the Kazekage's response.

"I'll admit that's accurate and that my actions haven't been entirely motivated by altruism. Yes, I wanted to get you out of the Leaf because I wanted your suffering to end. I thought that I could help you. I did help you, but that wasn't the entire reason." He whispers.

"Then what was?" Sasuke asks.

Damn it. This really was the moment that he had been dreading. As long as he said nothing, he could at least pretend that there was a chance that someday Sasuke might look at him the way that he used to look at Naruto. Now, there was a very real possibility of rejection.

"I knew that you loved him and that his marriage to Hinata hurt you. I didn't invite you the Sand Village in order to trick you into being my lover. I'm not going to lie to you though. That is the idealized outcome that I had envisioned when I offered you the transfer. I wanted to stop your suffering, but I also wanted you. I still do." He admits.

"Oh." Sasuke says in shock.

He had suspected that might be the case. It did explain a lot. While Gaara had been doing a good deed by taking in the stray Uchiha, he clearly had been hoping that he'd get more out of it than just good karma. Sauske wasn't sure how to feel about that.

The last Uchiha had been so focused on finding out if it was even true, that he forgot to answer one very important question. What was he going to do about it, if it was true? Now he was confronted with that choice and he felt tongue-tied.

"I don't expect you to fall into my bed because I offered you citizenship. I would never expect you or anyone else to do so. I kept my silence while I watched try to pick up the pieces of your heart after Naruto unwittingly smashed it. I didn't want to push myself onto you too soon. That would just be cruelty and taking advantage of you." He says.

Sasuke blinks again. He was still in shock, but he knew one thing. That was the most romantic thing that he'd ever heard.

He had never thought himself the type to enjoy flowery declarations of love and things of that nature, but this wasn't that. It was very romantic though. Gaara was being completely honest.

"I can understand that." He says as he tries desperately to think of a suitable response.

That's when Itachi decides to poke his forehead. Damn. That butterfly had lousy timing! How was he supposed to think straight, when he head a butterfly poking his forehead?

Was that some sort of sign? Maybe. He didn't know. Gaara might not be pushy, but Itachi certainly was. That was for damn sure.

"As I said, I didn't expect you to return my feelings. I wouldn't force my affections on you. I'm not Sakura. I'm not Naruto. I'm not the Leaf Village." He insists.

Gaara really did love him. He loved him enough to suffer in silence and not say a word while he was recovering from his heartbreak over Naruto. He loved him enough to care about HIS feelings more than his own.

Everyone else had just used him or assumed that they knew what was best for him. His Clan had kept the coup a secret from him. Itachi had lied to him for his own good. Sakura and a lot of other women had tried to force him to love them.

Hell, even Naruto hadn't done that. The blonde had never bothered to ask Sasuke wanted. Naruto had just wanted to take him back to the Leaf and for everything to go back to the way it used to be. The blue eyed ninja had obviously thought that would make Sasuke happy.

"Sasuke, please say something." Gaara pleads with him, after a few moments of awkward silence.

Everyone had all thought that they knew what was best for him and what would make him happy. Every single one of them had been wrong though. In that respect, the Kazekage was completely different from everyone else. He put Sasuke's feelings first.

"I know that you aren't them. You aren't nearly as…pushy." Sasuke says as he pulls Gaara closer to him by grabbing onto the sleeve of his Kazekage robes.

That's when he brushed his lips against the other man's. He wasn't really sure that this was a good idea. Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what he felt for Gaara. At the moment, it was mostly gratitude.

Finally, someone actually cared enough to consider what he wanted. Someone hadn't just tried to mold him into whatever version of himself they preferred best. That was worth something.

"Are you saying that you do return my feelings then?" Gaara asks in a stunned voice, before ghosting his lips over Sasuke's in return.

"Maybe. You care about me. You're strong, smart, loyal, and you're right. We're a lot alike. That and I suppose it doesn't hurt that red is my favorite color." Sasuke whispers.

Gaara smiles. Well it was far from a declaration of love, but that was a lot of compliments and it wasn't a no. At least his fantasy hadn't been shattered yet. He'd take what he could get.

"I can work with that." The Kazekage says with a smile.

"Good. Maybe, if things go well you can tell me what is so damn fascinating about that _**Prisoner of Love**_ book." Sasuke says with a sly smile as he wraps his arms around Gaara's neck.

"I'd like that and if things go really well, I could SHOW you what I find so damn fascinating about it." The red head replies with a sly smile of his own.


	10. Chapter 10

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10

An hour and one very happy Kazekage later, Gaara was enjoying a nice massage from his favorite Uchiha. He knew that technically that wasn't much of a contest since Sasuke was the only living Uchiha left, but Gaara still counted it anyway.

"Doesn't carrying that gourd around all the time, hurt your back? That thing has to weigh at least a couple hundred pounds." Sasuke asks curiously as he continues the massage.

Itachi had helped the Akatsuki remove his demon and thus killed him. While Gaara knew that it wasn't personal, that certainly hadn't helped to endear him to the recently deceased man. There was also Obito and Madara. Those two had nearly ended life as they knew it for the entire Ninja World. So he wasn't fond of them either. That combined with a million other reasons was why Sasuke was definitely his favorite Uchiha.

"Not really. I'm used to it. Actually, I'm so used to it that I must confess I feel rather naked without it." He answers honestly.

"Well that's _interesting_ to know. Any other dirty little secrets that I should know about?" Sasuke whispers into his ear.

That had to be a trick question. Gaara wasn't really sure how Sasuke had ended up offering to give him a massage, but he wasn't going to argue. He wasn't stupid though. The red head certainly wasn't going to push his luck this early.

Maybe Sasuke was testing him in some way. Perhaps he was attempting to determine the depth of Gaara's feelings for him. Love, lust, or both. (It was definitely both, but Sasuke didn't necessarily know that.)

"There are a few that I might divulge to you at some point in the future. I haven't entirely decided yet." He says, deciding that less was probably more in this case.

The feeling of Sasuke's powerful hands against his back was pure bliss. Gaara was not going to do anything to jeopardize his chances of enjoying the sensation as long as possible. There really was no way of knowing how long Sasuke's unexpected receptiveness would last and he intended to make the most of it.

"Well you've aroused my _interest._ I can't wait to hear _**all**_ about them." Sasuke says his hands slide up and he gives Gaara a neck rub.

"You'll make for a wonderful medic. Medicinal massage is quite a popular technique in the Sand and you excel at it." The red head comments.

"Good to know. So how long were you suffering in silence?" The Uchiha asks curiously.

It all made sense now. There was a very good reason why Gaara had noticed that he was suffering from unrequited love. The Kazekage recognized the signs from firsthand experience.

Sasuke was suddenly feeling a whole lot more charitable towards Naruto at the moment. For years, he had wondered how the blonde hadn't noticed that he was in love with him. How could anyone be so oblivious? In the end, it turned out that he was just as oblivious as Naruto. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the irony.

"Consciously or unconsciously?" Gaara replies with a question of his own.

"Well both." Sasuke says, curious to hear what the red head was going to say.

"Unconsciously, since the Chunin Exams. I think that I knew that I loved you in a twisted way even back then. You were the one that I wanted to kill the most." Gaara begins.

Sasuke blinks. He didn't know how to take that. It was romantic that the Kazekage apparently believed in love at first sight, but that was also disturbing. The young Kage had almost loved him to death, it seemed.

"I'm not really sure how to respond to that." Sasuke says.

"You don't have to respond to it. I'm just answering your question. I suppose that I fully realized it at the Kage Summit. When you attacked, I wanted to save you. I wanted to do for you, what Naruto had for me. Initially, I had wanted to save you because Naruto did and because you were too talented to have put down like a dog. That changed at the Kage Summit. I wanted to save you for me." He admits.

The Uchiha blinks. He hadn't expected that Gaara had loved him for THAT long. Naruto was right. He really was a bastard.

"You're very romantic in a morbid way." Sasuke tells him as he continues the massage.

Gaara _**loved**_ him. He really loved him. From the Kazekage's perspective, this wasn't just an infatuation or a case of lust. The red head had carried a torch for him for years.

That made him feel guilty. Sasuke didn't really know how he felt about Gaara. Oh he respected him. He liked Gaara. The Uchiha just hadn't ALLOWED himself to consider the possibility that he'd ever love someone besides Naruto before. Maybe he could love the red head.

"Is morbidly romantic something that you find appealing?" Gaara asks.

"In your case, yes. Honestly, I've never really thought about it much before though." He says as he kneads the tension out of the Kazekage's neck.

It didn't hurt that Gaara was gorgeous. Sasuke wasn't sure what he had expected to find under the other man's Kazekage Robes, but he hadn't expected such a muscular back.

Really, he hadn't thought that the Kage would be fat. Sasuke just hadn't expected such delightfully well sculpted muscles. Idly, he pawns that off to the fact that the red head had been hauling that heavy gourd on his back since forever. Maybe it was an informal version of weight training.

"Maybe you should think about it more." Gaara says as he rolls around and pulls Sasuke closer to him.

"Maybe." Sasuke agrees with a whisper.

The Kazekage smiles and kisses Sasuke. It started off as a rather gentle kiss, but that ended the second he felt the Uchiha kiss back. Instinct took over.

Sasuke soon found himself laying on his back as he kissed Gaara. He'd never really been kissed before on purpose. Sasuke didn't have much to compare Gaara's kisses too. He just knew that they felt _**GOOD.**_ It also probably didn't hurt that he tasted like his beloved strawberries either.

"Mmm." Sasuke sighs in pleasure and he runs his fingers through Gaara's blood red locks.

Gaara's kisses were much like the desert he was from. Hot and primal. He was by no means a gentle kisser anymore. The former Leaf Ninja felt like the other man was literally trying to consume him, but fuck it felt good. He arches against him as he cautiously decides to experiment a bit.

That experimentation was of course, adding tongue. He heard Gaara make a low guttural sound of approval. It was somewhere between a growl and a purr. Taking that as a good sign, Sasuke glides his tongue along the red head's in an ancient, seductive dance.

"Gaara, I've been looking all over for you. The Council wants to speak with you now. It's about trading with the Stone Village." Kankuro says as he walks into the room, only to freeze in his tracks.

Gaara was in there alright and so was Sasuke. His brother was currently making out with the last Uchiha in a rather passionate fashion. The puppet master couldn't believe his eyes.

The red head breaks the kiss and turns around to respond. The other native Sand Villager couldn't help but note that Gaara looked just as shocked as he did. He supposed that was a small comfort. Damn it.

"Tell them that I'll be there shortly." He hisses in annoyance.

"Right. Got it!" Kankuro says as he races off.

He knew that he was lucky that his brother didn't sand coffin him. Kankuro had never known for sure, but he had always suspected that his brother preferred men. That had never bothered him. Kankuro had just never expected Gaara to jump the Uchiha of all people!

"I'm sorry. I have to go." Gaara apologizes.

"Gaara, you're Kazekage. I understand. It's fine." Sasuke says.

The red head had never wanted to kill the Council more. One moment, he had been lost in the pure bliss that was the Uchiha's kiss and the next, he had to go to some stupid meeting. Damn them.

"I hope that you will consider what we talked about while I'm gone. When I get back, I should also like to resume our conversation." He says.

"I'll think about it and we'll see. I'm not angry. I can't be angry with you for doing your job. Go." Sasuke reassures him.

"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can." Gaara says as he disappears in a swirl of Sand.

Sasuke sighs when Gaara leaves. He didn't know what to think of the entire situation. He knew this much though. Gaara was a fantastic kisser.

"What do you think, Itachi? And don't pretend, that you aren't here. You're such a stalker." Sasuke mutters and he grumbles when the butterfly pokes his forehead.

He knew it. Sasuke had just known that the butterfly would somehow be there. Damn. Not only was it a ninja butterfly with apparently human intelligence, it might actually be a voyeur butterfly!

The very thought made Sasuke laugh. He started laughing and he probably didn't stop for a full five minutes. By the end of his laughing session, his sides ached.

"Damn. I haven't laughed like that since I was a kid." He mutters and the butterfly flies around happily.

Sasuke wasn't sure how he knew it was happily. He just did. The last Uchiha had long ago stopped trying to apply logic to that insect. It was a futile pursuit.

"Maybe I should just do the same with Gaara." He mutters to himself.

The red head was attractive, intelligent, strong, and cared about him. He also happened to be a wonderful kisser. Other than his general inability to easily trust anyone, Sasuke couldn't really see a reason not to at least consider continuing their _conversation_.

"I guess we'll see what happens soon enough." Sasuke muses.

Meanwhile Kankuro was panicking. He couldn't believe what he had just saw. Suddenly, it all made sense. That was why Gaara had brought Sasuke to the Leaf. His baby brother was either in love or at least lust with the last Uchiha.

"Kankuro, is there a reason why you look as though you are about to have a heart attack?" Temari asks her brother half in amusement and half in concern.

Damn it! How was he supposed to explain this to his sister? Kankuro hadn't even fully wrapped his mind around it yet. How the Hell was he couldn't tell someone else about what he saw?!

"Alright. You are going to want to sit down for this one." He warns Temari.

The sassy blonde raises an eyebrow. That certainly didn't sound promising. She knew her brothers. Neither of them was prone to panicking, but Kankuro was definitely panicking. That made her uneasy as she sat down.

"Okay. I'm sitting down. What's wrong?" She demands.

"I went to find Gaara because the Council wanted him. When I finally found him, he was kissing the Uchiha." Kankuro says.

Temari blinks. She wasn't entirely sure what she had expected Kankuro to say, but it hadn't been that. The thought of Gaara being romantically interested in anyone felt almost alien, but especially Sasuke.

"I know that you're being honest. No one can make something like that up, but that's unbelievable. Gaara was kissing Sasuke?" She asks dumbstruck and Kankuro nods in confirmation.

"Yes, he was. A lot. They both seemed to be enjoying it. I don't know if Sasuke seduced Gaara into granting him citizenship or not. It'd be hard to fake that level of passion, but it is the Uchiha. He's capable of anything." The puppet master reasons.

The blonde woman tilts her head to the side as she considers this. Would Sasuke actually do that? Would he seduce to get what he wanted? It didn't seem like him.

"I doubt that's the case. Sasuke's always avoided his admirers like the plague. We don't know how long Gaara has had these feelings for Sasuke either. Assuming that he had them before the transfer, we also don't know if Sasuke was aware of them. It's a little soon to start accusing him of tricking Gaara like that." The feisty woman points out.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. He has been on suspiciously good behavior since he came here though. You can't tell me that you haven't noticed." Her brother argues.

Temari sighs and nods. She had noticed. When Sasuke first came to the Sand Village, she certainly had her doubts about him. Now though, he was rapidly assimilating into their culture. For goodness sake's, he was a medic now!

"I would be lying, if I said that I hadn't thought about it. What if it's the opposite though? What if the reason he is on such good behavior is because he really does have feelings for Gaara?" She counters.

"I guess it's possible. I've never seen the Uchiha look at a woman before and he's had plenty of them throwing themselves at him." Kankuro mutters.

"Should we talk to Gaara about this? You are the closest to him. Maybe you should speak with him." The Sand woman suggests.

Kankuro sighs. He was closer to Gaara. That was true, but that didn't mean that the red head was going to want to talk about whatever was going on with Sasuke.

"I'll try. I can't make any promises though." The puppet master says.

"That's all you can do. Just trying your best." She offers sympathetically.

Elsewhere in the Sand, Gaara was conducting a meeting with the Council. He really hoped that his irritation wasn't actually showing on his face. That was the last thing that he needed. He needed to explain why he wanted to Sand Coffin them, like he needed a Chidori to the nuts.

"Ah there you are, Lord Kazekage. We were growing rather worried. Are you quite well? It's not like you to take so long to respond?" Jada asks.

Jada was the oldest Council Member. He was also the one that Gaara liked the least. He knew that if Jada had his way, Gaara would never have seen his tenth birthday.

"I'm quite well. Let's being. So you wished to discuss trade with the Stone Village?" The red head replies.

"I'm glad to hear that. Let's begin." He says as he gestures towards the various scrolls that they had that were filled with proposed trade ratios.

Gaara mentally sighs. Normally, he wouldn't have mind engaging in this kind of work. Unfortunately, it could be rather time consuming.

It would likely take hours to get through all this. That meant it would be hours before he could see Sasuke again. It would be hours before he knew how Sasuke felt about their kisses. Damn it.

"Very well. I suppose there is no time, like the present." He states as they begin the long process of going through all the scrolls.

Meanwhile Sasuke checks the mail and smiles when he sees Naruto's letter. He quickly takes the scroll and unrolls it. It didn't take him long to snort in amusement.

 _ **Dear Bastard,**_

 _ **Congrats on becoming a medic. I'm still surprised they let you pass your exams. I mean you're smart and all, but I bet your bedside manner sucks.**_

 _ **Anyway, Hinata and I are doing great. Kakashi is being well Kakashi. I'm not going to lie, I think that Sakura is still having a hard time dealing with the fact that you aren't a Leaf Villager anymore, but she's getting better.**_

 _ **Oh and by the way, that ramen comment was totally not fair. I eat things besides ramen all the time. It's just that happens to be my favorite food.**_

 _ **I was wondering, if you wanted to visit the Leaf? Gaara comes here once a year to reaffirm the alliance. You could come with him.**_

 _ **I feel bad about what happened last time. I totally didn't mean anything by it. I really hope that Gaara isn't still sore about what happened.**_

 _ **Can't wait to see you again, Naruto.**_

"Some things never change. He's still such a loser." Sasuke mutters.

It surprised him. He should have felt giddy that Naruto wanted to see him so much. That or the familiar pain of loss should have slammed into him like a punch to the gut. Neither happened.

He was amused at Naruto's letter on the surface. Beyond that, he felt hallow. The sting of loss just wasn't as vicious as it had been.

"Maybe I should ponder it more." Sasuke whispers to himself.

Was it because of Gaara? Had Gaara's kisses temporarily dulled the ache in his heart? Maybe it was just time.

They said that time healed all wounds. It had been months. He couldn't dismiss the possibility that distance and time had simply healed the worst of his emotional wounds from Naruto's "rejection."

"Either way, I'm going to have to talk to Gaara about this." He says.

A few hours later, Gaara came back. Sasuke realized the second that Kazekage returned. It took every ounce of self-control that he had, not to go running straight towards him.

That would be pathetic. It would be clingy. Uchihas didn't do clingy. Ever. Just because Naruto sent him a letter, didn't mean that he needed Gaara to play the role of a Knight in Shining Armor. He could slay his down damn dragons. Thank you, very much!

"Well maybe that's the wrong metaphor." Sasuke says to himself.

He didn't want to kill Naruto, after all. The man was his friend. Sasuke just wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to his letter. That was all.

"What's the wrong metaphor for what?" Gaara asks as he walks into the room and over to Sasuke.

"Nevermind. It's a long story. I'm glad that you are back. You need to see this." The raven haired ninja says as he hands Gaara the letter.

Gaara glances at Sasuke in confusion as he takes the letter. Why was the Uchiha showing him a letter? He had been hopeful that maybe his potential lover would be up for some more kissing, not reading.

"Alright." He replies warily as he reads it.

That's when his heart stopped for a few seconds. He couldn't believe it. Damn it. This couldn't be happening! It wasn't fair!

"Do you want to go?" Gaara asks.

Their relationship was only a few hours old. Hell, Gaara wasn't even sure if they WERE in a relationship. Sasuke had basically given him a maybe and a few heated kisses, along with a back massage. All of that was VERY nice, but it wasn't exactly a commitment.

"Honestly? No. I don't want to go. It doesn't hurt anymore, but I should probably go. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face him again. I'll stay in the Sand though. You're my Kazekage. I wouldn't refuse your order." The raven haired ninja says.

"You choose NOW to start respecting authority?" Gaara asks incredulously.

"You've given me no reason not to respect you. I'm not against following orders, as long as I agree with them." Sasuke says.

Gaara shakes his head. He didn't even know how to respond to that. He supposed that Sasuke would always be a wild animal at heart. The man would do whatever it was that he wanted to do and that was that.

"I wouldn't order you to stay behind. That would be abusing my power." He says.

"You could abuse it in this case, if you wanted. It'd give me an excuse not to go." Sasuke suggests semi hopefully.

"That's tempting, but I won't. This is your decision, not mine. Just like it's your decision if you want to continue our earlier conversation." The red head informs him.

Oh fuck it, Sasuke decides as he shoves Gaara back on the bed and straddles his hips. That's when he kisses him. They had already kissed before. There was no harm in it. It wasn't like they were crossing a new line or something.

Gaara smiles as he returns Sasuke's kiss. Maybe the other man was really beginning to move on. At the very least, he certainly kissed him like he was.

Back in the Leaf Village, Naruto was engaging in some half-hearted training with Kakashi. The other man was a skilled ninja, but the blonde didn't want to go all out. He didn't want to hurt his former Sensei.

"Naruto, that's the third hit that I landed on you. I know that you could have dodged at least two of them. Is something wrong?" The CopyCat Ninja asks.

"I don't know. Maybe. I sent Sasuke a letter." He says.

"And what did you say in this letter that is making you so unfocused?" The silver haired ninja asks as they temporarily pause their training session.

Naruto sighs. As far as he knew, Kakashi had no idea that Sasuke liked men. He didn't want to give away Sasuke's "secret."

"Well basically, I invited him to come visit the Leaf. Gaara's going to be here anyway to reaffirm the alliance. The last time I visited the Sand, it didn't go so well. I'm not really sure if Gaara is still mad at me honestly." The blue eyed ninja admits.

Kakashi shakes his head. He had a pretty good idea what happened. Naruto must have accidentally said something pretty tactless.

Gaara had feelings for Sasuke. He probably noticed that the last Uchiha had been hurt by the blonde. That meant that the red head had probably lashed out in some way.

"I'm certain that whatever happened back then doesn't matter now. It was months ago. Gaara doesn't strike me as the type of man who would carry a grudge. If you had upset Sasuke on the other hand, that would be a completely different matter though." Kakashi offers with a smirk.

"Yeah. That's true. Sasuke has one Hell of a temper." Naruto agrees with a laugh.

"I think that it would be good for the four of you to have a chance to get some closure." The silver haired ninja continues.

Naruto tilts his head. The four of them? Gaara, Sasuke, and him made three. Who was the fourth person?

"Yeah. Maybe. Wait. Who else needs closure besides me, Sasuke, and Gaara?" He asks in confusion.

"Sakura. I know that she was rather upset by Sasuke's transfer. It might be a good idea for them to have talk things out as well." Kakashi answers his inquiry.

"Good point. Yeah. She was pretty devastated. I think she's doing much better now. I just hope that she doesn't get upset when she sees him again." He mutters.

Kakashi sighs and shakes his head in amusement. It was amazing really. In some ways, Team Seven was still the same group that he had met when they were Genin. Sakura liked Sasuke. Sasuke liked Naruto and Naruto was well oblivious.

He smirks when he realizes that Sasuke was also oblivious now. It was still a love triangle, only this time said triangle involved a red head. Hopefully, it would all work out in the end though.

The situation was amusing, but scary. Each person in this bizarre "love square," was insanely powerful in his/her own right. This could be a recipe for disaster.

"I think you should give her some more credit than that. She's a powerful ninja. She's strong, in mind and body now. Sakura can handle it." He says.

"I hope you're right." Naruto says with a sigh.


	11. Chapter 11

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

A week later, Sasuke and Gaara arrived in the Leaf Village. The last Uchiha didn't know how he felt about that really. He knew one thing though, he was already sick of the stares and whispers.

The raven haired ninja couldn't help but muse that he must have grown spoiled while in the Sand Village. For the most part, the other Sand Villagers had gotten at least somewhat used to him. At the very least, they no longer whispered about him while he was within earshot or openly stared. That wasn't the case in the Leaf though.

"Don't mind them. They just don't know any better." Gaara whispers to Sasuke.

"I know. I don't mind them. Not really. It's annoying, but I'll live. I'll meet you back at the hotel room. I think I see Kakashi over there. I want to have a few words with my former Sensei." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Alright. Try not to burn down the village though." The red head replies dryly.

Sasuke shrugs at that observation. Sometimes, that was tempting. He wouldn't actually do it though. That would be spitting on all of Itachi's sacrifices. That was something that he would never do.

"I'll be a good Uchiha. I promise. Well I'll be a mostly good Uchiha." He assures the Kazekage.

"Mmm I don't mind it when you are a bad Uchiha. Well at least I don't mind it in the proper content or perhaps I should say the improper context?" The young Kage inquires slyly.

"I might smack him around a bit, but I'm not going to burn the village to the ground." Sasuke promises.

He wanted to kiss Gaara at that moment. There was just something ridiculously compelling about the red head when he was in a playful mood. He knew that he couldn't though. Not here anyway.

Maybe he could have kissed Gaara in the Sand, but not in the Leaf. That would send the rumor mill into overdrive. Besides, they hadn't actually agreed that they were in a relationship, much less a public one yet.

"Glad to hear it." Gaara says as he teleports off.

"Well you two seem to be getting along rather well." Kakashi says knowingly from behind Sasuke.

The last Uchiha wasn't even going to ask how the CopyCat Ninja snuck up on him. Despite Sasuke's formidable powers, the silver haired ninja would always been rather stealthy and sneaky. It was something that he had come to associate with his former instructor.

"Yeah. Gaara's a good Kage. Do you have a few moments and can we go someplace more private?" Sasuke asks.

"Of course. Let's go back to my place." Kakashi says as he leads Sasuke off.

Once they were there, Sasuke locked the door behind them and cast a Soundproofing Jutsu. He'd be damned, if anyone overheard them.

"I must say that high collar shirts are an interesting fashion choice to wear in the Sand Village. I take it that things are going even better between you and Gaara than I anticipated?" Kakashi asks merrily.

Sasuke feels his face burn with embarrassment. Great. His former teacher knew that he had love bites on him. A lot of them. Apparently, Gaara was a rather possessive lover or whatever the Kazekage was to him.

They hadn't actually had sex yet. So Sasuke didn't think the term lover was entirely accurate. It sounded more dignified than boyfriend though. Yeah. Lover would have to work for now.

"You're a sneaky son of a bitch. You shoved that perverted book into my bag, when I wasn't looking." Sasuke accuses him.

"I prefer to think of it as me giving you one final lesson. It's regrettable that the Academy's version of Sex Ed is so basic that it doesn't include for other sexual orientations besides heterosexuality." The silver haired ninja observes slyly.

Sasuke didn't buy that for a second. Kakashi had made that friend crack and then slipped a rather erotic book into his bag. A book whose main characters bore a striking resemblance to him and Gaara. He highly doubted that was just a coincidence.

"Kakashi, I'm not stupid. I know that you did it on purpose. Raiden and Kenji are EXACTLY like Gaara and I. Raiden is even a politician! Did you really think that I wouldn't figure out what you were up to?!" Sasuke demands.

"Aright. I'll admit that I gave you a subtle push. Judging by the way you are hiding your neck and blushing though, I'd say that it worked. Are you secret lovers now? I can understand why you might wish to be discrete. Not every village is accepting as the Sand when it comes to these sorts of things. Personally, I have always been of the opinion that as long sex is between consenting adults, it shouldn't matter what gender or genders those adults are." The Copycat Ninja replies thoughtfully.

The last Uchiha groans and smacks his forehead. He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation with Kakashi of all people. Ayume was one thing, but Kakashi?

"We aren't secret lovers." Sasuke snaps at him.

"Oh? Really? That surprises me that you are public with your relationship. I would have thought that such a development would have spread like wildfire. That's wonderful news though. I am happy for both of you." He congratulates him.

Sasuke sighs and looks up at the ceiling. Why him? Why did he constantly get thrust into these awkward situations?

"No! We aren't lovers. Not yet anyway. I mean we've kissed and he marked up my neck, but it hasn't really gone much further. There were a couple of massages involved. Wait! Nevermind! I have no idea why I'm telling you any of this!" Sasuke grumbles.

"You're telling me about this because it's only natural to want to share your good news. Well that's fine. It's probably a good thing that you aren't rushing things. This is after all, you're first real romantic relationship. That's a significant milestone in anyone's life." Kakashi reasons.

It was amusing to watch Sasuke get so flustered. Kakashi wasn't a cruel man though. He knew when to back off and the silver haired ninja knew that he was rapidly testing the limits of Sasuke's patience. It wouldn't be wise to provoke him further.

"Yeah. I guess that's a good point. He's just so different than Naruto though." Sasuke whispers.

"I know he's different. He's a red head. Naruto is blonde. I think that's good though. Variety is the spice of life." Kakashi offers.

"That's NOT what I meant!" Sasuke growls at him and the other man chuckles.

He knew that was a bit of a cheap shot. Unfortunately, it was just so easy to rile Sasuke up and sometimes he couldn't resist. The silver haired man sighs and tries to put on a straight face because he wasn't in the mood to get Chidoried. (Which is likely what would happen, if he didn't.)

"I know. For one thing, Gaara noticed that you preferred men. Tell me honestly, how is the relationship going? There must be at least some level of physical attraction. I highly doubt that you would let many people mark up your neck like that." Kakashi points out.

"I don't know. It's still so new. The physical attraction is definitely there. I never thought that I'd get so addicted to kisses and massages. I know that he cares about me. He saved me in a way. Gaara offered me a new life. A better life and he waited until I was ready to move on before letting me know about his feelings. Feelings that he claims to have had for years. Maybe Itachi was right. Maybe I am his FOOLISH little brother." Sasuke mutters.

Kakashi shakes his head. In a way, the members of Team Seven were like his children. The age gap was a bit narrow for them to be his actual children, but he figured it was close enough. He had long ago decided that he was going to remain a Bachelor. So mentoring them filled any sort of parental need that he had.

He honestly didn't know how people did it. How could you be a ninja and a parent at the same time? Every time you went out on a mission, you were putting your life out on the line and might not come back. To put a child through that uncertainty, seemed cruel to him. It was even crueler when the children were ninjas and the parents never knew if their children going to make it home. No, he didn't want any part of that.

"You can be foolish sometimes, but we all behave that way at least occasionally. Don't beat yourself up, over it." Kakashi offers as he hugs Sasuke.

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke says as he sparks his mentor.

"AHHH! Damn it! Sasuke! I was just trying to be supportive! Did you really have to attack me with Chidori? That's just wrong! I taught you that move!" Kakashi grumbles in pain.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. He didn't do hugs. Ever. Kakashi really should have known that by now.

"I don't do hugs. Yes, you taught me Chidori. You didn't teach me how to radiate it throughout my body though." The raven haired man says smugly.

"Touché. Well that's a fair point. Are you ready to face Sakura and Naruto though?" He asks gently.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Sasuke says with a sigh.

Meanwhile Gaara gets to his hotel and sees Naruto waiting for him in the lobby. That didn't surprise him. He had notified the blonde of his arrival. What did surprise him was the fact that Sakura was also waiting for him in the lobby.

"Hey, Gaara! It's really good to see you. Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asks brightly.

"He will be along shortly. He and Kakashi are catching up. It has been awhile since they last saw each other." The Kazekage replies.

Sakura nods. That made sense. Sadly, she wasn't entirely certain how she should feel about the entire situation. Should she be happy or angry that Sasuke was visiting them?

"Oh cool. So you have the Kage Suite as always. I booked Sasuke a room as well. I wasn't sure if he'd want to stay in the Uchiha District or not. I mean if he wants to, I can just cancel the room order." Naruto says.

"That was kind of you. I'm certain that he will appreciate it." Gaara says.

Just then, Sasuke walks into the hotel room and Sakura winces. It was still pain. Thankfully, it wasn't as painful as she had expected it would be. She could get through this.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asks as he walks over to them.

"Naruto thought that it might be a good idea for all of us to talk. You know, clear the air?" The pink haired ninja answers him.

Sasuke mentally groans. Damn it. This was not going to be fun. Maybe he should have stayed back in the Sand. Gaara would have been back soon enough and then he wouldn't have had to deal with Sakura.

It was bad enough that he had to face Naruto, but now he had to justify leaving the Leaf to HER?! He was never in love with Sakura. They were never together. She was his teammate and that was it. He didn't feel like he should have to justify his actions to her.

"That might be a good idea. No point in allowing old wounds fester." He says diplomatically.

Maybe Gaara was rubbing of on him. Sasuke was now speaking politician. His every instinct was to blow her off. He couldn't though. That would be cruel.

It wasn't that he wanted to hurt Sakura, Sasuke was just tired of feeling guilty. He had made a lot of mistakes in the past and he regretted them. The last Uchiha didn't appreciate reliving them. He had never meant to hurt her the way he had. From his perspective though, it was over.

"Yeah." She agrees and they all headed up to Gaara's Suite.

"Sasuke, would you like me to summarize?" The red head asks, once they were all inside.

"That'd be good." The raven haired man replies.

Thank goodness for Gaara. If there was one thing he was used to doing, it was negotiations and conversations with potentially hostile parties. Maybe they could get through this conversation without anyone bawling their eyes out.

"Very well. Sasuke has been a member of my village for a little over six months. In that time, he has become a medic and has adapted remarkably well to our culture. I haven't had any issues with him. I truly believe that all he needed was a chance to start over. I know that the two of you care for him deeply, but you have to realize that was never a possibility here." The Kazekage says.

Sakura twitches. On one hand, she was happy that Sasuke was happy or at least content. Really, she was. That didn't change the judgment that was oh so thinly veiled in Gaara's voice though.

"I'm shocked that you became a medic Sasuke. You know that you could have done that here, right? Gaara, I know you mean well, but you're wrong. He could have started over here. If Sasuke wanted to, eventually things would have gotten better. He just never stuck around long enough to find out." The female medic says.

"Sakura, it wasn't like that!" Naruto protests.

"Naruto, stop it! Sasuke can speak for himself! He doesn't need you protect him!" The young woman snaps.

Sasuke clenched his fists tightly and tries to calm his fury. He knew that he needed to reign in his temper. If he didn't, this wouldn't end well. It was so hard though. Almost impossible.

"I stuck around for six years after my Clan was Massacred before I went to the Sound. For six years, I lived ALONE in the same house where my parents were MURDERED! For six years, I was nothing more than a shiny prop for this village. People "liked" me but only for my looks, my family name, or my talents. Naruto was the only one in this village that liked me for me. Well him and Kakashi. It NEVER got any better in those six years. I don't know why you think it would have gotten better after the war!" Sasuke snarls at her.

He hated his tone. Sasuke knew that he sounded vicious, but apparently it was necessary. Sakura had to get it through his head that the Leaf Village wasn't his home anymore. It hadn't been for a very long time.

"Sasuke." Naruto whispers and Garaa subtly takes Sasuke's hand in a show of solidarity.

"No. It's fine, Naruto. She NEEDS to hear this. As for becoming a medic, who do you think would have trained me? You? Why, were you hoping that we would bond over lessons and that eventually I'd fall in love with you?" He begins.

Sakura looked like she was about to reply, but Sasuke wasn't going to have any of that. Once he started, it was like a damn had burst. The words flowed out of his mouth freely, like an unbound river.

"Sasuke, it wasn't like that. I just w-" Sakura attempts to reply, only to get caught off by a very angry Uchiha.

"It was never going to happen Sakura. You're a wonderful woman, but I'm gay! I'm not even attracted to women! You might have known that, if you had bothered to ask!" He thunders at her.

Suddenly, stunned silence filled the room. Gaara and Naruto were shocked into silence because they couldn't believe that Sasuke had told Sakura that. Sakura had been rendered temporarily speechless by Sasuke's declaration. It shocked her to the core.

"You're what?!" She asks.

"I said that I'm not interested in women romantically. I prefer men, but that isn't the point. I'm happy in the Sand Village. I'm happier than I have been in years. I hope that you can accept that and that somehow we can become friends again. If you can't though, that's not my problem!" Sasuke growls at her.

Sakura blinks. She couldn't believe it. Sasuke was claiming that he liked men. She simply couldn't wrap her mind around that.

"Sasuke, I'm happy that you are happy. It just hurts that you left us again. That's all. As for you liking men, you're probably just confused. God only knows, what happened to you while you were at the Sound and you've suffered a lot of mental trauma. It's only natural that you might get a little confused." She says.

"Oh believe me, he's not confused in the slightest." Gaara says as his sand lashes around him angrily.

"How is he supposed to restore his Clan, if he's with a man though?" Sakura asks.

"You're a medic. I think you are familiar with the usage of surrogates. He doesn't need to take a woman as a lover to have children. He doesn't need a woman to be happy. He has me!" Gaara snaps at her.

If Sasuke telling everyone that he was gay shocked Sakura, that declaration left her dumbstruck. There was no missing the implication.

"He w-hat?!" Sakura asks incredulously.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't thought that Gaara wanted to go public with their relationship. That or he had just gotten angry with Sakura and the words slipped out.

The red head glances at Sasuke in terror. It was obvious that he had just realized what he said. The Kazekage clearly didn't know how he was going to react.

"Gaara's my lover." Sasuke tells her bluntly.

He knew that was a bit of a stretch, once again he thought it sounded better than boyfriend. Well at least Gaara wasn't arguing with the accuracy of the label. That was something.

"Really?! So you guys are official now?!" Naruto asks.

Sasuke glances back at Gaara. He knew that this was the point of no return. Sakura MIGHT keep their secret out of shock and loyalty to her former teammate. Naruto was just incapable of secrets though.

"Gaara?" Sasuke whispers.

"We're official." The red head says firmly.

Sasuke didn't seem to have an issue with it. That and it felt GOOD to have some sort of acknowledgement of his relationship with Sasuke. Both from his friends and from Sasuke himself.

Their relationship meant more than a few heated kisses and enjoyable caresses now. They were official. In a strange way, he probably should thank Sakura.

"Wow. Well congratulations!" Naruto says.

"Y-eah. Congratulations." Sakura says in a stunned voice.

"I think that we have discussed everything that we needed to discuss. It's been a long journey. I think that I speak for myself and Sasuke when I say that we would both like to rest." Gaara says.

Naruto nods. He knew a polite sendoff when he heard one. It was just kinder to let the couple have some alone time and to give Sakura time to process all of this.

"Yeah. Goodnight, guys." Naruto says as he drags Sakura off.

Sasuke lets out a sigh of relief when they were gone. Well that didn't go how he planned. Maybe that was a good thing though.

"So we're official." Gaara says and Sasuke smiles.

"Yeah. We're official. Are you sure that you're alright with that? Not every place is accepting as the Sand Village." Sasuke says as he caresses Gaara's cheek.

"My sand will take care of anyone who has serious objections to our relationship. I'm not concerned." Gaara says bluntly.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side. He wasn't entirely sure if Gaara was joking or not. Gaara almost always spoke in a monotone voice. Sometimes, it could be hard to tell what he was feeling.

"Is that a joke or are you seriously threatening to Sand Coffin anyone who objects to us?" He asks.

"A little of both." Gaara admits.

"Well if nothing else, I do appreciate your honesty." Sasuke says with a smile as he kisses him.

Gaara smiles back and returns the kiss. Sasuke had said they were official in front of Naruto. That meant that the Uchiha was officially over him and with him. That made him ridiculously happy.

"Good. That's a start. Do you want to stay in separate rooms? The bed is rather large and previous experience has taught me that it is very comfortable." The Kazekage says.

"I guess you aren't feeling morbidly romantic anymore. You've either upgraded or downgraded yourself to perverted. I didn't think you'd try to get me into your bed that early." He taunts him.

"Well Uchiha anytime that you want to join me in my bed, you are more than free to do so. I encourage it. I wasn't going to try to seduce you though. Not tonight anyway. Unless you would like me to do so." Gaara tells him.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. If anyone else had said that, he would have laughed. He would have accused them of lying or trying to be sneaky, but not Gaara. The red head was honest to a fault.

"So you're telling me that you want to cuddle?" Sasuke asks sarcastically.

"I'm not certain that I would call it cuddling. That carries a rather innocent connotation. There is nothing innocent about what I feel towards you, but essentially that's correct." He tells him.

"I don't mind that, but I am curious about a few things." Sasuke says as he tugs off his high collared shirt.

Gaara smirks and admires the sight of a shirtless Uchiha. That was always a pleasant one. He was also rather pleased to see that his love bites were still visible.

"What are you curious about?" The Kazekage asks.

"Well what makes you think that you are going to be the one who does the seducing?" Sasuke asks as he playfully pins Gaara to the bed.

Hmm. That was a good point. The red head was certainly feeling rather seduced at the moment.

"Well I thought that it was implied by my position of Kazekage that I would be the imitator. I'm certainly not going to argue though, if you prefer it the other way around." The Kage says.

"Mmm good. My second question was, did you bring a copy of that _**Prisoner of Love**_ book. I want to know what you find so captivating about it." The last Uchiha informs him.

Gaara wasn't sure if he had ever smirked more in his life. Today was turning out to be a very good game. He just hoped that his favorite book wasn't a bit too intense for the Uchiha. He really didn't know much about the man's sexual preferences other than how he liked to be kissed.

"Yes, I did bring a copy with me. Are you certain you are ready for that. The last book you read was rather tame compared to this one. It's more…exotic." The red head warns him.

"I think that I can handle exotic. If I can handle Sakura and Naruto's loudmouths, I can handle anything." Sasuke assures him.

"Alright. I guess we'll see, if that is indeed the case." Gaara says as he reaches into his traveling bag and pulls out the requested book.


	12. Chapter 12

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

"Did that really just happen?" Sakura asks Naruto, once they had left the hotel and were back at his place.

"Yeah. That really just happened. I mean I knew that Gaara had a thing for Sasuke, but I didn't know that Sasuke liked him back." The blonde says.

WHACK. Sakura swats Naruto upside the head for that remark. The medic couldn't believe that he had made such a fool out of her. How could Naruto kept that a secret from her?!

"Sakura, why did you just smack my husband?" Hinata asks as she strides into the living room and her eyes narrow at the other woman.

"Because! He didn't tell me that he knew! That was so embarrassing! He should have told me!" Sakura protests.

Naruto sighs. Uh oh. This wasn't going to be pretty. His wife was a very kind and forgiving woman, but he doubted that she was going to take Sakura play swatting him very well.

He was used to these sorts of "love taps" from Sakura and Sasuke on Team Seven. Hinata wasn't part of Team Seven though. She was part of Team Eight. She didn't understand their team dynamics.

"It's alright, Hinata. It didn't really hurt and she has a good reason to be upset." Naruto assures his wife.

Hinata shakes her head. It wasn't alright. It was wrong to just hit people because you got upset, especially a comrade.

"Why did you smack him?" The bluenette asks again.

"He didn't tell me about Sasuke and Gaara." Sakura answers Hinata simply.

That causes the former Hyuga Heiress to blink. She hadn't seen that one coming. The Kazekage and Sasuke were romantically involved?

In hindsight, maybe she should have expected it. Truthfully, it was more than a little odd that Gaara would offer the last Uchiha a transfer to the Sand Village out of the blue. He had seemed unexpectedly supportive of the raven haired during their visit as well.

"I can see why that would upset you, but did you ever think that he had a good reason? Naruto probably didn't want to betray his other friends' privacy. There are also political implications to consider. Gaara IS the Kazekage." Hinata reminds her.

Sakura frowns. She hadn't really considered that. Their relationship was potentially politically toxic. Now that she thought about it, it was shocking that Gaara would enter such a risky relationship to begin with.

"That's a good point. Naruto, I'm sorry that I slapped you. This is all just so shocking though. I guess I kinda always knew, deep down. Sasuke never looked at women. I was just hoping that was because he was so focused on killing Itachi and redeeming himself. I thought that maybe he would notice me later. At the very least, I expected him to at least fall in love with another woman!" She exclaims.

"Yeah. It's weird. I don't really know how it works, but it doesn't really matter. They are clearly happy with each other. That's not something that either of them have had a lot of. Happiness. We should try to be supportive." The blonde says firmly.

Sakura sighs. This was insanity. Well whether she liked it or not, Sasuke was a Sand Villager. That meant that realistically, they were never going to be together. The fact that he was with another man though, that stung.

Sasuke was still her former teammate though. That meant something to her. In some ways, it didn't matter whether or not he considered her a friend. Sakura still considered Sasuke her friend.

"I guess you're right. It's shocking and it does hurt, but you're right Naruto. If being with Gaara makes him happy, we should at least try to understand." She mutters.

"That's the spirit, Sakura!" Naruto says brightly.

He wasn't entirely sure if Sakura meant that though. That scared him a little bit. He knew that Sakura had liked Sasuke for a long time. This had to be really hard for her. It was one thing for him to transfer to another village, but liking another man was going to be a bitter pill for her to swallow.

"Good. Sakura, will you be staying for dinner?" Hinata asks sweetly.

"Oh. No. Thank you, but I don't want to trouble you guys further. I should probably get going. Maybe things will look better tomorrow. This is going to take some getting used to." She says with a sigh.

Hinata and Naruto nod in understanding. Honestly, they were both still in shock about the unexpected romance. So it was only natural that Sakura would be as well.

"Alright. We'll see you later, Sakura. Don't worry. Things will work out for the best. Believe it!" Naruto says with a grin.

"Yeah. Maybe you're right." Sakura says with a sad smile as she heads off.

Hinata shakes her head as she watches the other woman leave. She knew that this had to be devastating for her. Unfortunately, Sakura was likely going to be the least of Gaara and Sasuke's problems.

Gaara was Kazekage. Sasuke was a former S Class Criminal Ninja. The Sand might largely be willing to overlook Gaara taking a male lover, but someone with Sasuke's reputation would likely be a bigger stretch.

Meanwhile Sasuke was in Gaara's suite and currently reading the Kazekage's favorite book with wide eyes. The red head hadn't been kidding when he said that it was more exotic than the book he'd read. He also hadn't been kidding about the sand acting instinctively. Apparently, Gaara REALLY liked handcuffs and chains.

 _Kaito smiled as he admired the beautiful contrast between the silver chain and Aoi's creamy smooth skin. In his mind, it was as luminous as the Moon. He knew that it was wrong to treasure the sensual sight as much as he did, but he couldn't help it._

 _"Your people lost the war, but you don't have to lose your life." He whispered and smirked when he felt the raven haired man shiver._

 _He knew that it was partially from fear, but also from something else. Try as much as did to avoid it, in the end neither of them could resist each other. They had been lovers before the war and Kaito knew that they would be afterwards. Aoi would just need some persuading._

 _"You know that I still love you and I think that you still love me. If you really do, you'll stop this. Let me die with honor, alongside my comrades." Aoi pleaded with him._

 _"You're right. I still love you. I should do the right thing. I could make it quick. I could make it painless." He whispered as he placed a few soft kisses along the other man's jaw line. (Kaito knew that Aoi couldn't escape because he was chained to the dungeon's wall.)_

 _"Yes, you could." Aoi agreed, leaning into the affectionate gesture._

 _He was going to die and he knew that. There was no harm in enjoying the comfort that his lover's touch brought him beforehand. It wasn't as if they hadn't already been together. No one would ever know. He'd die with honor, but he could live with love._

 _"That would be the noble thing to do. I'm not feeling very noble, right now though." He murmured as he kissed the pale column of his lover's throat._

 _He could feel Aoi's pulse race. Kaito didn't know if it was from fear, desire, or both. He just knew that he couldn't lose him. Not like this._

 _"What are you feeling?" Aoi asked._

 _"Selfish. I'll keep you safe here. I'll figure out a way to get you a pardon. Until then, I'm afraid that you will have to stay here. Don't worry. I promise that I'll ensure you are treated well." He told him._

 _"I'm to be your prisoner then? Is that it?!" The other man demanded in an accusing tone that made Kaito wince._

 _"That's an accurate assessment. To be even more accurate, you'll be my prisoner of love." The red head replied._

Sasuke blinks. He wasn't really sure how to take what Gaara's choice in literature might be revealing about him. He was also disturbed that he could feel the first stirrings of his own arousal.

"Handcuffs and chains MIGHT be acceptable depending on the circumstance. No whips though." Sasuke tells him firmly.

"No whips. That's not something that interests me and I wouldn't use it on you, even if it was. I love marking up your beautiful skin, but not in a way that would actually cause pain or leave a permanent scar." The Kazekage assures him.

"Well that's good to know. Though I take issue with the adjective beautiful. It's like cuddling. It carries the wrong connotation." Sasuke tells him.

Gaara shakes his head in amusement. Well he had walked right into that one. Still it was a relief to know that his _interests_ weren't completely repulsive to Sasuke.

"Noted. I suppose I can always come up with another way to describe how appealing I find your skin and every other part of you. However, I still must insist that the word is a perfectly accurate description." Gaara replies.

"I can't believe that you just had me read smut and somehow managed to sound romantic only five minutes later. That truly does take talent." Sasuke notes with a smirk.

"Thank you. As a politician, it is important to be able to transition from one topic or mood to another rather quickly. I like to think that it is a skill that I have achieved sufficient proficiency in." The Kazekage tells him.

Sasuke quietly laughs. He had no idea how it was possible to go from loving Naruto to wanting Gaara. The two couldn't be anymore different. They didn't even talk in the same way.

"And what else do you believe that you have achieved sufficient proficiency in?" Sasuke asks slyly.

"Well I am not entirely certain what my current skill level in certain areas that I am suddenly rather interested in." The red head informs him.

"That's easily fixed. I'm more than willing to give you a performance evaluation." Sasuke says.

Gaara smirks. Well that certainly sounded promising. Though he wasn't entirely certain how far he should push his luck.

Back in the Sand Village, Kankuro decides to do some investigating. If Gaara really liked Sasuke, it was important to make sure that the last Uchiha was trustworthy. That meant that he might have to get his hands dirty, but so be it.

"Hello, Lord Kankuro." Ayume says with a sweet smile.

Kankuro knew that it was fighting dirty, but the medic was Sasuke's friend. She might actually have a good idea what was going on in his head. Anyway that you looked at it, she was his best shot.

"Hello, Ayume. I wanted to talk to you about Sasuke. Do you have a few minutes?" He asks.

Ayume tilts her head to the side. That sounded ominous. Why would Lord Kankuro want to speak with her about Sasuke?

"Of course, I do. Please follow me. I assume you'll want to speak privately?" She inquires tactfully.

"Yes, privately would be better." Kankuro agrees and the medic nods as she leads him to another room.

"Is something wrong? Is Sasuke hurt?" Ayume asks anxiously.

Kankuro shakes his head. No. Sasuke wasn't hurt. It was the opposite really. He was more worried about whether or not Gaara would be hurt than Sasuke.

"No. He's fine physically. It's just that he's kinda become involved wit-" Kankuro begins to explain the situation, but he never got to finish his sentence.

A strong gust of wind opened the door. He sighs when he sees his eldest sister. Temari must have figured out what he was planning and she didn't look too happy about it.

"I'm sorry, Ayume. My brother doesn't know to mind his own business sometimes. He means well, but you know how middle children are. They like to stick their noses in everything." She says with a grin.

Ayume just shakes her head and laughs. She had no idea what was going on, but she wisely decides it was probably best just to stay out of it. Feuds between siblings could become quite vicious and she wanted no part in that.

"It's alright. Well it sounds like the two of you have a lot to talk about. I should get back to my patients. Good day to both of you." She says with a sweet smile as she makes a tactful exit.

"Kankuro, I can't believe you!" Temari snaps at him.

"What? I was just looking out for Gaara!" He defends himself and Temari sighs.

She could only hope that Gaara wouldn't find out about Kankuro's little stunt. That would end in disaster. She shivers as she imagines a Sand Coffin being used.

"Well don't do anything that stupid again!" She warns him.

"Fine. How are we going to find out, if we can trust Sasuke with our brother's heart though?" He asks.

"The normal way! We wait. He's Kazekage, Kankuro. You should trust his judgment." The feisty blonde points out.

Kankuro sighs and nods. He still didn't like it. Sasuke had been acting normally for awhile, but that didn't mean it was going to last or that it wasn't just an act.

"I guess you're right." He whispers.

"I'm always right. The sooner you understand that, the better off you'll be." Temari says with a wink.

Back at Gaara's hotel room, Sasuke glances at his favorite Kage. He knew what to do in theory. It was just that he had never applied the theory. The last Uchiha decides not to let that stop him though.

"I'll evaluate your performance later. You've been extremely patient with me. I should thank you." Sasuke whispers into his ear.

"Th-ank me?" The red head stammers out in shock.

His mind rapidly came up with all sorts of scenarios that little phrase could lead to. Each of them made him rather grateful for loose Kage robes. If it weren't for them, he would have been completely humiliated.

"You'll see." Sasuke says with a smirk as he slowly pulls Gaara's robes off and reaches for his boxers.

 **Warning Lime**

Gaara felt his face burn with embarrassment. It would be impossible for Sasuke not to notice his current state of arousal. Fortunately, the Uchiha didn't seem to mind as he tugged off Gaara's boxers.

Sasuke blinks. The red head must have gotten really aroused by watching him read his favorite book or by his seductive promise. Whatever the cause, the result was undeniable. The Kazekage was definitely more than receptive to his affections.

"Just relax." The last Uchiha purrs seductively at Gaara, before giving him a quick kiss.

Gaara returns the kiss eagerly. He didn't think that there would ever be a time, when he didn't want to kiss the other man. He was almost certain that Sasuke was as inexperienced as he was. He was certainly ready to change that though.

Sasuke smiles after breaking the kiss and then turns his attention back to Gaara's impressive arousal. He was almost confident that there was no realistic way he'd be able to take all of his almost lover into his mouth. Though he doubted that really mattered. Gaara seemed to be a wonderfully sensitive individual.

"Alright." Gaara says.

In reality, he was very much not relaxed. His blood felt like he was on fire, but in a good way. Idly, he muses that didn't make any sense.

Sasuke apparently wasn't going to give him any time to analyze his thoughts though. The Uchiha takes the tip of his arosual into his mouth and swirls his tongue around it. That's when Gaara's brain shut completely down and he was suddenly lost in a sea of pleasure.

"Fuck!" He hisses in pleasure.

Sasuke smirks. Yes, Gaara was definitely sensitive. He was barely doing anything and the red head was already putty in his hands. Nice.

There was something rather addicting about knowing that he had one of the most powerful ninjas in the world completely at his mercy. There was something seductive about the rush that gave him. With that in mind, he takes more of Gaara into his mouth.

"Sasuke!" Gaara pants out as he runs his fingers through the last Uchiha's spiky black locks.

Sasuke decides to experiment. He licks, nips, kisses, and sucks. Gaara seemed to like being lightly nipped, as long as you licked or sucked afterwards. He places his hands on Gaara's hips to keep the red head from fucking his throat raw.

"If you stop, I will Sand Coffin you." Gaara warns him with a rather feral growl.

Sasuke just smirks in response. Ironically, he concludes that death threats were probably a good sign. That makes him suck harder.

Gaara groans and throws his head back in pleasure. There was something euphoric about the feeling of Sasuke's mouth wrapped around his cock. The way he'd suck him off or tease him with his teeth. That and his tongue was driving him to the brink of madness when he would lick him just the right way.

He had always heard that men liked oral sex. While he had been curious as to why the act held such fascination for both genders, he had never put much thought into it. He hadn't thought anyone would actually perform it on him. Now, he knew why people wanted it so much. It was glorious.

"Sasuke, stop!" Gaara warns him.

His actual experience with sex and even masturbation was extremely limited, but he knew when he was close to an orgasm. The red head certainly didn't want to have one before Sasuke had a chance to move.

"Gaara, it's okay. I want you to." Sasuke lets go of his cock long enough to say, before he returns to his self-appointed task.

That was all the Kazekage needed to spiral over the edge. He came hard and with a roar. Gaara swore that he saw stars.

Gaara pants as he tries to catch his breath. That was the most intense orgasm of his life. If oral sex felt that incredible, he could only imagine what actual sex felt like.

 **End Lime**

"I take it that I have achieved sufficient proficiency in sucking you off." Sasuke observes with a smirk.

"I probably deserved that, but you've more than achieved proficiency. You can be my Aoi, anytime." Gaara says as he pulls Sasuke closer to him and kisses the other man.

Sasuke smiles and kisses back. It was nice to know that he could at least satisfy Gaara with his mouth. There was still one thing that was bothering him though.

Sooner or later, they would get past the cuddling and foreplay stage. If the way his pants suddenly felt too tight was any indication, it was likely going to be sooner. Sadly, Sasuke still wasn't entirely sure how that was going to work.

"I'm not sure whether to find that sweet or disturbing. I'm not nearly submissive enough to be Aoi though." Sasuke informs him as he watches the red head catch his breath.

Gaara was Kazekage. He was used to being in charge. That would likely transfer over into sex. Sasuke had a hard time envisioning the red head as initially wanting to bottom.

On the other hand, he had always figured that he would be the more aggressive sexual partner in any relationship. That and Sasuke didn't like feeling vulnerable. That was a very vulnerable position to put yourself in.

"I don't know. You're powerful and you're intelligent, but you don't seem to take charge naturally." Gaara muses.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Sasuke demands.

"Generally, you are influenced by other people. First, there was Itachi. That's completely understandable, of course. Then, there was Naruto. I understand that as well. Unfortunately, there was also Orochimaru. We can't forget Obito. The Hokages also influenced you. You tend to be a follower more than a leader. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm just making an observation." The Kazekage says quickly.

Sasuke frowns. He wanted to argue with Gaara. He wanted to tell the other man that he was wrong, but he couldn't really deny the accuracy of what Gaara was saying.

"That's fair." He mutters in annoyance.

"Sasuke, don't sulk." Gaara says as he caresses his cheek tenderly.

"I am NOT sulking!" Sasuke protests.

Alright. He couldn't argue with the accuracy of what Gaara had just said, but he was not sulking. Uchihas didn't sulk. It was extremely undignified!

"Right. Well don't get angry with me. I didn't mean any of it as an insult. Truly, I didn't. It's not a bad thing to let others take the lead now and then. It just means that you trust them enough to allow them to take care of you. You don't mind me being Kazekage, do you?" He asks.

"What? No! Of course not. You earned that position. Why would you even ask that?" The raven haired man inquires incredulously.

"Well technically that makes me your superior. You're supposed to follow my orders. That doesn't bother you though, even though you are likely my superior in combat. I don't see why it would bother you in other aspects of our relationship." He reasons.

Sasuke sighs. It could be annoying sometimes. Gaara was just so damn reasonable. He really was nothing like Naruto.

"That's a good point. I'm still not submissive." He continues to protest.

"Whatever you say, my love." Gaara says as he wraps his arms around Sasuke.

Sasuke shakes his head. The Kazekage was clearly humoring him. Oh well. He was too tired to debate the matter further. Besides, Gaara's embrace was rather comfortable.

He says and rests his head on the other man's shoulder. This was nice. He'd make sure that Gaara understood he wasn't a submissive later. For now, he was content to simply be.

"That's right. I'm Kaito. You're Aoi." Sasuke informs him as he closes his eyes and begins to fall asleep.

"Mhm. As long as we are together, I don't care what role I play." Gaara assures him.

"Good." Sasuke murmurs as he finally dozes off completely.

A few minutes later, Gaara determines that Sasuke was actually asleep. He then smiles and lays Sasuke down on the bed. The Uchiha really did look so innocent while he slept. His guard was down and he looked even more beautiful this way.

"I don't really care what you say. You're my Aoi." Gaara whispers as he kisses his forehead and wraps the blankets around them, before joining Sasuke in the Land of Dreams.


	13. Chapter 13

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 13

A few days later and the new couple was back in the Sand. Sasuke was still getting used to the fact that they were officially a couple. He had never actually been in a relationship before.

"We're home." Gaara says with a smile and Sasuke nods in agreement.

It was nice to be back in the Sand. The Sand where people didn't gawk at him like he was an escaped tiger from the zoo. He had even missed the warmth of the Desert Sun against his skin. (Well as long as he had lots of suntan lotion on his skin, anyway.)

"Yeah." Sasuke whispers as he walks side by side with Gaara.

That was when the Kazekage clearly decided to try to give the last Uchiha a heart attack by grabbing his hand. Gaara quickly interlaces their fingers and continues walking with the raven haired ninja. He was walking with Sasuke and holding his hand as if that was a perfectly normal thing to do!

"Gaara!" Sasuke whispers in a hushed tone.

"What? I told you that in the Sand we don't have an issue with two men being together. We agreed that we were official. I thought that we would make that more obvious to our fellow Sand Villagers." The red head reasons.

Sasuke bites his lower lip. While he didn't mind handholding by itself, he couldn't help but worry about what this might do to Gaara's reputation. It was one thing for the Kazekage to be with a man, it was quite another for him to be with someone with his history.

"Are you sure? Isn't this going to hurt your ability to govern?" Sasuke asks.

"Anyone who wants to control my personal life is not an ally of mine to begin with. You'll actually be helping me. I'll find out who my real friends are and those who are just willing to stand by my side, when they agree with me." The Kazekage assures him.

Sasuke still wasn't entirely sure that this was a good idea. Still he was flattered that Gaara wanted to display their relationship so publicly. That made him smile.

"Alright. When you put it that way, it makes perfect sense." Sasuke muses and then he growls when he felt a familiar poke against his forehead.

"That has to be the most persistent butterfly in the world." Gaara observes in amusement.

"Oh you have no idea." Sasuke grumbles and Gaara tries his best not to laugh.

The great Sasuke Uchiha looked so put out by a butterfly. It was the funniest thing that he had ever seen in his life. Who would have thought that a beautiful insect would be the thing that irritated him most?

"Come. It's been a long journey. It's probably a good idea to get out of this heat and retire for the evening. I wouldn't want you to get sunburned again." Gaara says.

"I'm actually good. I think I'm starting to get used to the Desert Sun and I made sure to lather up this morning." The Uchiha replies.

"Good. I'm glad." Gaara tells him as they head back into their home.

Sasuke nods in agreement. That's when he saw that they were apparently walking into an Inquisition. Temari and Kankuro were sitting at the table.

The last Uchiha was damn sure that the fact he was holding Gaara's hand probably wasn't going to help their case. Gaara's grip was firm though. Clearly, the red head knew what he was thinking and he wasn't having any of it.

"Don't give me that look, Kankuro. It's regrettable that you walked in us. That's not how I would have chosen to inform you of our relationship, but that changes nothing. We're together now." He says firmly.

"Look Gaara, I'm happy that you found someone. Really, I am." The puppet master begins.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He had the urge to stamp LIAR on Kankuro's forehead for that comment. Clearly, he wasn't happy that he was involved with Gaara. The raven haired man couldn't blame the other ninja, but he didn't like lies.

"Really? Your words say you are happy, but your body language and tone say something else entirely. There is no need to lie. If you have something to say, just say it." Sasuke snaps at him.

Temari sighs. This was clearly going to get ugly and fast. She needed to step in.

"Sasuke, it's nothing personal. Kankuro is just protective of his baby brother. That's all. Gaara's never been in a relationship before. We just don't want to see him get hurt, even unintentionally." The blonde says.

"What a diplomatic way of saying that the two of you are worried that I'm going to fuck this up." Sasuke mutters in annoyance.

He understood why they were doing this. It was only logical. That didn't mean that he was any less pissed off though.

Honestly, he wanted to get a nice shower and then curl up with Gaara. Maybe he and the red head could read some more of _**Prisoner of Love**_ or even just embrace and kiss each other until they fell asleep. That would have been his ideal way to spend the rest of the evening.

"Sasuke, please forgive my siblings. Both of them have a habit of overstepping their grounds, especially Kankuro. He sometimes ends up putting his foot in his mouth unintentionally. They mean well though." The Kazekage says.

"I know that they mean well. That's why I haven't Chidoried them." Sasuke states bluntly, causing the other Sand Siblings to gulp nervously.

"Aoi, play nicely." The Kazekage warns him.

Temari and Kankuro tilt their head in confusion. Aoi? Who was Aoi? On second thought, they decided that it didn't matter. What mattered most at the moment was avoiding an all out brawl with their brother's lover.

"I told you that I'm NOT Aoi!" Sasuke growls at him.

"Of course, you're Aoi. The similarities are too striking to ignore. That and if you don't control your temper, I will chain you to my wall until you can learn to play nicely. Don't make me do it, Uchiha. I'm not bluffing." Gaara states.

The look on Sasuke's face was priceless in Gaara's opinion. He just looked so indignant. It was cute.

Honestly, he knew that it was odd to describe Sasuke as cute. He was one of the most dangerous ninjas on the planet. Calling him cute was suicidal. Well at least he could THINK that it was cute without risking a Chidori to the nuts. So that was something.

"Gaara, when I get done explaining to your brother and sister that I'm not going to break your heart, we need to talk!" The raven haired ninja thunders at him.

The Kazekage tries his best not to gulp. He wasn't entirely sure if he managed or not. He might not know a lot about relationships, but he did know what that phrase meant. Sasuke was definitely angry with him or at least highly annoyed. Perhaps he had pushed the other man too far.

"Sasuke, you know that I was merely teasing you. I wouldn't actually pull rank on you in such a personal way. Well at least not without your consent." He clarifies.

"I don't know, Kaito! Maybe you would!" Sasuke grumbles.

Thankfully, Gaara had gotten to know the Uchiha better over the last few months. This wasn't furious Sasuke. This was irritated Sasuke. Irritated Uchihas were dangerous animals, but they weren't anywhere near as frightening as truly furious ones.

"Right. I think that it would be best, if we just left you two alone. It seems like you need to talk." Kankuro says awkwardly.

"Yes, that does seem like a good idea." Temari says as she makes a tactical retreat with her other brother.

"Lovely, now we've scared off my siblings." Gaara says with a sigh.

Sasuke shrugs. At the moment, he wasn't entirely feeling too charitable towards them. Kankuro and Temari had been civil to him since he moved to the Sand Village, with Temari being slightly warmer. He couldn't say they were friends though.

That was alright. He wasn't in love with them. He was in love with Gaara. He'd just have to tolerate the fact that the man had two moderately annoying siblings. That wasn't necessarily insurmountable.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Sasuke grumbles.

"Well I wasn't trying to scare them off in this case, so it is. Sasuke, I'm sorry. I truly had no idea that they were planning something like this. I also didn't mean to embarrass you with the Aoi thing. Though I highly doubt that either of them would know who Aoi was. They're both firmly heterosexual." Gaara tries to explain.

Sasuke sighs. That was true. The odds that either of them knew about _**Prisoner of Love**_ were rather slim. Still it was the principle of the thing. That had just been embarrassing.

"It wasn't the Aoi reference, exactly. Though I'm still NOT him. I'm Kaito! It was the punishment threat. While I don't mind such banter when it's just between us, I don't like you saying such things in public. Handholding is fine, but that's too much." Sasuke says.

"I regret that I embarrassed you. It wasn't my intention. I'll keep that in mind for the future. Come on. Let me make it up to you." Gaara says with a sly smile as he offers Sasuke his hand.

"Make it up to me how, exactly?" Sasuke asks suspiciously as he warily takes the other man's hand.

The Kazekage smiles when Sasuke takes his hand. It was a less sly one and more of a genuine smile. Only Sasuke could truly make him smile in this way.

"I was thinking that perhaps a nice, relaxing bath might be a good start. I could give you a shoulder rub as well. You seem rather fond of those." He says.

"That's a good start." Sasuke concedes.

He mentally curses how sensitive his neck was. Sasuke knew that it was probably one of his greatest weaknesses. A weakness that the red head didn't seem to have any qualms about exploiting at that.

"I thought as much. That and I won't lie, the thought of seeing you naked is a rather appealing one to me." Gaara confesses.

"Flattery also helps your cause." Sasuke says as he heads off with his Kazekage towards the bathroom.

Meanwhile Jada sighs as he glances over Sasuke's files. The Uchiha had been in the Sand for a little over six months. In that time, his behavior had been as far as he could tell that of a model citizen. It certainly didn't fit with the mental image that he had of the man.

"He even became a medic in five months. That's unprecedented. I suppose the Sharingan does have practical applications outside of the battlefield." He muses.

The Sand had gained a bloodline and Gaara had gained more than a little prestige. He had apparently done what no one else could. He had "tamed" Sasuke Uchiha. Well he had managed to tame him in the same way that one might domesticate a wild stallion anyway.

"You can take the animal out of the wild, but you can't fully take the wild out of the animal. In any case though, this can surely work to my advantage. I merely have to play my cards correctly." He says.

Sasuke had adapted well to life in the Sand. He was even a medic now. That combined with his bloodline and considerable financial assets made him quite the eligible bachelor. That gave Jada an idea.

Clearly, if the Uchiha was going to stay in the Sand, it would be in his best interests to take advantage of such a situation. He needed a way to ensure that the former criminal would stay loyal at his new home.

"The easiest way to do that is by giving him what he wants. He wants to restore his Clan. A wife would be quite helpful in that pursuit. If I can convince him to marry my granddaughter than things will work out perfectly." He reasons.

There was just one problem with that. He honestly didn't know if Sasuke was even interested in women or a intimacy at all. If Sasuke happened to prefer men, he could take the long road. He could set Sasuke up with his grandson instead. Still it would be preferable to give him a wife, that made restoring his Clan easier and that was what Jada wanted.

"I don't believe this is a good idea." Kiara says.

Kiara was another Sand Council member. She was a woman who was well into her seventies. Jada had never been that fond of her. In his opinion, the woman was far too tenderhearted to have anything to do with the Council.

"And why do you not believe that it is a good idea?" He demands.

"One can't force love. Just because it's a politically convenient match, doesn't mean that he will love your granddaughter." Kiara tells him.

Jada raises an eyebrow. Love? Who said anything about love? He was talking about restoring the Uchiha Clan, not writing a love poem!

"And what does love have to do with restoring his Clan?! We want him to have a stronger tie to the Sand Village, do we not?" He demands.

"Of course, we do. He has been here for months though. You saw him undergo the Binding Ceremony. Since then, he's given us no real indication that he has any plans to leave or betray us. Why are you so concerned about this?" She inquires.

"Because I am not a short-sighted, tenderhearted fool. I have no idea how you made it onto this Council in the first place. If you had it your way, we'd all already be dead!" He snaps at her.

He had had it with her soft ways. Kaira would likely be the death of them all at this rate. No. No. Jada was going to put his foot down this time and that was final!

"How dare you speak to me in such a fashion?! I am a member of this Council as well! Despite what you may think, I am also worthy of respect!" She snaps at him and goes to strike him.

Jada sighs. She couldn't be reasoned with. Thankfully, it was just the two of them today. She never saw the kunai coming. It stabbed her in the heart and killed her instantly.

"Shame. I do so hate killing before lunch." He mutters as he quickly summons a ninja loyal to him.

"Yes, sir?" The Jonin named Dai inquires.

"I need you to get rid of this body. I want the remains charred beyond recognition. On the off chance that she is found, I don't want anyone to recognize her. Do this quickly." He states.

"Of course, Lord Jada." The man says as he scoops the dead woman up and flits off quickly.

Jada sighs as he sips his glass of sake. He hated killing before bed. It tended to ruin his sleep. In his waking hours, such things didn't bother him. It was only at night, did he feel any guilt for the blood on his hands.

He consoles himself with the knowledge that he had to do it. It was for the good of the Sand Village. The needs of the many would always outweigh the needs of the few.

Back in the Leaf Village, Naruto blinks at Kakashi. He was sending a messenger hawk to the Sand Village. Oh boy. He wasn't even sure that he really wanted to know what the CopyCat Ninja was planning.

"Kakashi?" He asks.

He was going to ask anyway. After all, curiosity was a powerful force. Good thing that he had a fox demon inside him and not a cat demon, Naruto muses to himself.

"Yes, Naruto?" Kakashi asks, trying his best to sound innocent.

He knew that was a losing battle of course. Kakashi was known for many things, but being innocent wasn't one of them. Sadly, today that was apparently going to work to his advantage.

"What are you sending to the Sand?" Naruto asks warily.

"Oh just a book. I thought that Sasuke might find it useful. You know he really values my taste in literature. It's been tremendously helpful to him." The masked ninja replies.

The blonde shakes his head in amusement. For some reason, he doubted that Sasuke had requested for their former sensei to send him a book. That and he knew that whatever Kakashi was sending Sasuke, it was something that was likely going to annoy the last Uchiha off. Big time.

"What kind of book are you sending him?" The blonde dares himself to ask.

"Oh it's a Baby Name Book. I thought that Sasuke might find it rather useful. He and Gaara seem to have gotten rather close lately and I know that Sasuke wants to restore his Clan. It never hurts to be prepared when it comes to these types of things. Names are very important." Kakashi states sagely.

Naruto falls over in shock. Damn. The other ninja must have a death wish. That was the only logical explanation. That was like waving red in front of a bull or something.

"Are you out of your mind? Sasuke is going to kill you for that!" Naruto exclaims.

"I doubt he'll kill me. After all, clearly the last book that I sent him worked out beautifully." Kakashi says cheerfully.

"I'm not even going to ask. I don't want to know." Naruto says with a heavy sigh.

Meanwhile in the Sand Village, Gaara and Sasuke were now in the bathtub. The last Uchiha was enjoying a nice shoulder rub from a very sexy red head. Life was good at the moment.

"So is red really your favorite color or was that just something that you said?" Gaara inquires as he continues the shoulder rub.

"It's really my favorite color. What's yours? I should probably know things like that about you." Sasuke muses.

"Black. I didn't have a favorite color before I met you. Now it's been black ever since. Same color as your eyes. Well at least the same color they were when I met you anyway." He says.

"And now you're back to being morbidly romantic." Sasuke says as he turns around and kisses Gaara.

Gaara smiles and returns the kiss. Well he could work with morbidly romantic. It did seem to garner positive responses out of his almost lover.

"Only for you." He tells him.

"Good. I've never really been that good at sharing. You should have seen my socialization marks at the Academy." He says with a chuckle.

The Kazekage had already seen those marks. They were rather low. They stuck out like a sore thumb on Sasuke's otherwise flawless academic record.

"I've already seen them. Remember? I shipped them to Ayume before you began your medical training." Gaara reminds him.

"Oh right. I guess there are some perks to being Kazekage." Sasuke observes and the red head nods in agreement.

Hmm that reminded him. He did have a rather nice office that they could use. Judging by the book that Sasuke had been reading earlier, maybe he was into office sex. He should probably ask.

"It also comes with a very nice office." He offers.

"Mhm. I saw that." Sasuke says as he begins washing up the red head.

"The desk is quite sturdy as well and so is the chair." Gaara continues and Sasuke shakes his head in amusement.

Who would have ever guessed that the young Kage was such a pervert? It was now rather clear what Gaara was not so subtly asking about. Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers it.

"You're asking, if I'm into office sex." He states bluntly.

"Well yes. I was trying to be tactful about it, of course." Gaara replies as if there was a tactful way to inquire about such a thing.

"I guess it depends on who I would be having sex with more than the actual location. I'm not opposed to it on principle and provided that the proper precautions are taken, it can be a rather erotic concept." Sasuke answers.

Now it was Gaara's turn to tilt his head to the side. Proper precautions? What did mean?

"What do you mean by precautions?" He asks in confusion.

"Soundproofing Jutsu, a lock, and the blinds should be pulled. I'm not an exhibitionist. That's just never really been something that I'm into." The Uchiha informs him.

"I believe the potential risk of getting caught is part of the appeal, but those aren't unreasonable conditions." Gaara says as he kisses Sasuke's forehead.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Well that was Gaara for you. Even when he was trying to be naughty, he still made it sound so diplomatic.

"Good. How do you think everyone is going to react to us?" He asks.

"I'm not entirely certain. I don't entirely care though. You're my Aoi and that's that." He says.

"For the final time, I am not Aoi!" Sasuke growls at him.

Meanwhile Temari was giving Kankuro quite the tongue lashing. He was so lucky that hadn't ended in complete disaster. That could have easily gone the other way.

"Are you going to leave them alone, now?" She demands.

"Me?! Hey, you were there too! I know that you are just as worried about Gaara as I am. Don't try to pretend differently." He grumbles.

"You're right. I am worried about him. Sasuke hasn't really done anything to give us cause for concern since he transferred though. That and if you keep interrogating them about their relationship, that's only going to drive them further into each other's arms and they'll become distant from us." She warns him.

Kankuro sighs. He hated to admit it, but his sister was right. That was likely exactly what would happen, if this continued.

"What do you suggest then?" He asks.

"For now, we really don't have any other choice. We'll simply have to allow events to unfold naturally. Sasuke and Gaara are both extremely powerful. They also have bad tempers. Our brother is different now than how he used to be, but I still don't' want to provoke him. He is our Kazekage and you know what Sasuke is like." She warns him.

The puppet master could only nod in agreement. Oh he knew exactly what Sasuke Uchiha was like. That was why he was so worried about his brother in the first place.

Seriously, why did Gaara have to fall for Sasuke? Why couldn't he have fallen for Naruto or anyone else? It was like his brother was just asking for a catastrophe to happen.

"Besides, this might be a good thing." Temari says.

"How do you figure?!" Kankuro demands.

"Well this shows that Gaara is capable of desiring stronger bonds than mere friendship and that he is developing into a healthy adult with adult desires." She says.

Kankuro groans. He didn't even want to think about Gaara and Sasuke together like that. He didn't want to think about his BABY BROTHER with anyone like that, but especially not Sasuke.

"Yes, I'm sure that this will all work out great and I've decided to become a ballerina." He mutters.

"Well you certainly wear enough makeup to become one. I'll get you a tutu. Would you prefer pink, purple, or white?" She asks slyly.

"It's not makeup! It's war paint!" He protests.

"It's makeup and pink it is." She says as she runs off, laughing.

Kankuro sighs. All he could do was look up towards the ceiling and ask why him? Why did he have two crazy siblings? One was in love with Sasuke Uchiha and the other was a crazy woman! He didn't know which was more terrifying really.


	14. Chapter 14

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter has been slightly revised for maximum impact. Both of our ninjas get to take the reigns this time.

Chapter 14

A few days later and Sasuke was growing worried. Gaara was gone more often than not. When he was home, he was almost always hauled up in his office. By the time that he came out, the red head was clearly exhausted.

Sasuke knew that this somehow was related to Kazekage Business. He just wasn't sure how. That was going to change tonight though. He swiftly heads into Gaara's office, carrying a tray of some rather strong sake and chocolate covered strawberries.

"Sasuke, that's just evil. You know that I can't resist strawberries and I really do have to go through these records." Gaara says.

"You can look them over in a few minutes. This isn't like you. What's wrong?" Sasuke says as he sits on Gaara's desk and promptly laid the tray on it.

He knew Gaara. The man wouldn't be able to resist. Once he had a few strawberries and maybe a few mouthfuls of sake, he'd be putty in his hands. That was how he planned to get to the bottom of this.

Sasuke was a bit disgusted with himself. He had never been this needy before. Gaara was clearly working and not doing something malicious. The last Uchiha should have easily been able to entertain himself until the red head resolved whatever crisis was going on, but he couldn't. He missed Gaara too much to be content by himself.

"One of the women on our Council has gone missing." Gaara says as he watches Sasuke place a strawberry into his mouth.

A strawberry that had melted chocolate on it. Melted chocolate that was currently sliding down the Uchiha's chin. It was very…distracting.

Sasuke quickly eats the strawberry. That was something that needed to be responded to. Councilwomen didn't just go missing. He knew what was bothering his red head now. Gaara was worried that she had been assassinated and likely for very good reason.

"Do we know of anyone who would have had a grudge against her?" Sasuke asks.

"She was a sweet woman. The only person that she didn't get along with was Jada. No one really gets along with him though. He's another Councilmember. He's not well liked in the village, but he's very wealthy and cunning. There's nothing that goes on in this village, that he isn't aware of." The Kazekage says as he tries not to let that chocolate distract him too much.

It was a losing battle though. The young Kage only had so much self-control. He was only human and Sasuke just had to go and sit on his desk. .Did he mention that the Uchiha was also shirtless?

Clearly, the Uchiha's sadistic tendencies had not completely faded yet. How as Gaara supposed to think straight when he had a half naked Sasuke sitting on his desk with chocolate strawberries? Was this some kind of divine test?

"And you don't have any proof that Jada did it." Sasuke says simply.

It wasn't a question. The raven haired man was making a statement of fact. They both knew that if Gaara had proof, he would have already done something about the matter.

"No. I don't have any proof. All I have is my gut feeling. We haven't even found a body. Right now, people want to cling to the hope that she's alive." He mutters.

"You don't have any hope at all that she might still be alive?" Sasuke asks softly.

Gaara shakes his head. That seemed highly unlikely. He would like to be proven wrong of course and damn it! Sasuke was eating another strawberry.

The action reminded him of what else his almost lover was capable of doing with his delightfully wicked mouth. The red head felt himself shiver. Fuck it!

He had been working for days to locate Kaira's remains and prove that Jada did it. He was tired, stressed, hungry, and now enormously sexually frustrated. That was a bad combination when it came to his self-control. That was why he kisses Sasuke.

"Mmm that's better." Sasuke whispers before returning the kiss and wrapping his arms around Gaara's neck.

A half naked Uchiha was sitting on his desk. A half naked Uchiha whose kisses now tasted like strawberries. Suddenly, his day just got considerably brighter.

Immediately, the Kazekage decides to reacquaint himself with his Uchiha's mouth. The things that Sasuke could do with his tongue were quite impressive, but Gaara knew the truth. The other man might feign resistance for awhile, but he preferred letting his partner take control when all was said and done. Said partner just had to prove themselves worthy, first.

"You know, you can be enormously distracting." Gaara muses, after breaking the kiss.

"Mmm that's the not the only thing that is enormous." Sasuke informs him.

Gaara chuckles as he licks the melted chocolate off of Sasuke's chin and kisses him once more. Who knew that the last Uchiha had such a naughty sense of humor? That was quite the interesting discovery.

As he was musing about this, he saw something purple out of the corner of his eye. The red head blinks and stops what he was doing to confirm his suspicions. It couldn't possibly be the butterfly again, could it?

"What's wrong?" The raven haired man asks in confusion when his red head went from frisky to confused.

"It's the butterfly again." Gaara says in amusement.

"You've got to be kidding me. The butterfly is a voyeur. Now, I've seen everything. What do you say we give him a good show?" Sasuke asks as he reaches for Gaara's robes.

Gaara smirks. He wouldn't have thought that Sasuke would be ready this early, but he certainly wasn't going to tell him know. When an Uchiha wanted to have office sex with you, well you had office sex with them. One would have to be an idiot to turn down what Sasuke was clearly offering.

"That sounds like a fine idea to me. After all, we really shouldn't disappoint the butterfly." He says somberly.

"Exactly." Sasuke agrees with mock seriousness as he slides Gaara's robes off.

 **Warning Lemon**

Gaara smiles as he has his sand lock the door and performs a Soundproofing Jutsu. The last thing they needed was for someone to overhear them in the middle of their lovemaking. That would leas to far too many awkward questions for his liking.

Sasuke smiles. Those robes really did hide a lot, he observes once more. The Kazekage was gorgeous underneath them.

Gaara quickly tugs off Sasuke's pants and boxers, before placing a few soft kisses along his neck. The last Uchiha tilts his head back at this gesture and exposes more of his neck to the other man. He didn't know why his neck was so sensitive, it just was and the red head was certainly eager to exploit that fact.

"Beautiful." He murmurs as he lightly bites down on Sasuke's collarbone and sucks gently.

"Yes, you are." Sasuke tells him as he reaches down and tugs off his soon to be lover's boxers.

He had never actually done this before. Sasuke was almost positive that Gaara was just as innocent as him in that respect. They had kissed, embraced, bathed together, and Sasuke had even given the Kazekage oral sex. This was different though. This wasn't just foreplay.

Gaara didn't protest the label. Pleased by this, Sasuke decides to reward the red head by yanking him down by his crimson red locks for a heated kiss.

"I hope you didn't rip my boxers. If you did, you so owe me a new pair of boxers." Sasuke informs the Kazekage.

"I don't see why. I would quite prefer it, if you just ceased wearing them all together. After all, you are going to wear pants. It's not as if anyone other than me is going to see what's underneath them and it's rather convenient." He reasons as he takes Sasuke into his hand and strokes him.

"Nnhh! I'll give the m-atter serious consideration." Sasuke groans as he bucks into Gaara's hand.

The red head couldn't help but smirk at this reaction. He had actually made Sasuke stutter. That certainly was quite the grand feat. Then again, the fact that he was currently playing with Sasuke's kunai probably had something to do with it.

It was a rather large one and thick. Hmm. His Aoi was probably going to be difficult, judging by how nicely it was pulsing in his hands. Gaara was dealing with a frisky Uchiha. A frisky Uchiha who would likely want to be the more dominant lover between the two of them.

"Good. I quite like the idea of being able to yank off your pants and being able to take you anywhere I want, with minimal restrictions." The Kazekage informs him as he strokes Sasuke harder and faster.

That was the odd thing about their relationship. Up until this point, Sasuke had been content more to give than to receive. Perhaps the Uchiha just didn't like making himself vulnerable and felt more in control of the situation when he was the one doing the sucking or stroking. He'd have to explore that possibility later.

"I have to admit that does sound appealing. Though I believe you got our roles reversed." Sasuke informs Gaara as he places several hot kisses along his throat and rubs one of the Kazekage's nipples.

"Are you saying that you would prefer to disrobe yourself and bend that gorgeous ass of yours over my desk, without any prompting? Hmm. Well that sounds even better, when you put it that way." Gaara sighs softly in contentment at the affectionate kisses and seductive touches that his lover was bestowing upon him.

Sasuke rolls his eyes playfully and pulls away from Gaara. The last Uchiha promptly launches a sneak attack and pins the red head to his desk. That was better.

"More like I would be the one who was bending you over." Sasuke whispers hotly into his ear as he glides his hand over the curve of Gaara's hip suggestively.

Gaara shivers at the promise in Sasuke's voice. When he put it like that, ti was tempting. Still he wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Mmm that may be negotiable." He offers.

"Negotiable? That sounds promising." The last Uchiha murmurs as he places more kisses along Gaara's back and squeezes the red head's backside teasingly.

"Yes. Maybe next time." Gaara informs him as the sand sneaks up behind Sasuke and a cuff forms around his leg with a chain on it.

It didn't take the sand long to pull Sasuke away from the desk and towards the wall. Gaara smiles and walks over to Sasuke as a sand chain forms around his neck, keeping him tied to the wall, but allowing for some flexibility.

"You really do have a thing for bondage." The raven haired man says.

"Maybe a little. There's just something tremendously appealing about the fact that I know you can't go anywhere and I can do anything that I desire to you." He says as he walks over and lightly tugs on a nipple with his mouth as he goes back to stroking Sasuke.

The chakra required to perform such an action was reliable. He doubted even the most skilled ANBU would notice it. Quite frankly, he could tie the Uchiha up any way he liked and no one would ever find out. There was something very exciting about that fact.

"Mmm you're lucky that no man is going to resist getting his kunai played with. Otherwise, you would be in very big trouble." Sasuke says with a sigh of pleasure.

"I'm trembling, Uchiha. Truly, I am." Gaara replies smugly as he lavishes Sasuke's chest and abs with kisses and small lovebites.

Occasionally, he would licks the tiny marks soothingly. He liked how Sasuke would jump slightly at each nip and the sounds that his almost lover was making. He really did have such a wonderfully seductive voice.

It pleased him greatly to know that he was the only person who had ever elicited such sounds from the other ninja's mouth. (He planned on keeping it that way.)

"As you should be." Sasuke informs him with a cocky smirk.

Gaara snorts in amusement as he nips at Sasuke's inner thigh before he takes the tip of his arousal into his mouth. He had never actually done this before. He knew what to do in theory, but it would be interesting to put it into practice.

"Fuck!" Sasuke hisses in pleasure as he swore his eyes lulled to the back of his head.

There was just something amazing about the feeling of Gaara's hot mouth wrapped around his cock like that. Sasuke didn't know that his body could actually feel this good. Kissing and being stroked felt good. Really, really good. This was something else though. This was euphoric.

Judging by that hiss, Gaara decides he was doing something right. He takes as much of the other man into his mouth as he could and sucks. The red head sucks him fast and hard.

Sasuke felt his desire racing inside him like hot magma. It wouldn't long until he came hard. That would be embarrassing. He tries to wiggle free from Gaara's administrations, but it was futile.

If anything, the Kazekage was being rather insistent about the matter. The red head swirls his tongue around the sensitive tip and sucks even harder on his arousal. Sasuke couldn't resist any longer. It felt too good.

That was all it took. Sasuke came hard. Gaara smiles as he takes a moment to admire the beautiful sight that was Sasuke when he achieved pure bliss.

That didn't last for long though. The red head was well aware that he was dealing with an extremely stubborn Uchiha. Time was of the essence. He has the sand grab him a bottle that he had been hiding under his desk since it became clear that Sasuke might be interested in becoming lovers.

While his experience was limited, he was more than familiar enough with the theory to realize that taking the other man without lubrication would be cruel. Sasuke was just as innocent as he was, despite what his bluster and talented mouth might say to the contrary.

"You learn f-ast." Sasuke pants as he tries to come down from the high of his orgasm.

"I had an excellent instructor." Gaara says, referring to the time when Sasuke had brought him to climax in a similar fashion as he sneakily coats his fingers while the Uchiha was distracted.

At that moment, Gaara has the sand turn Sasuke around. Before the Uchiha could figure out what he was planning, the Kazekage quickly slides a finger inside him. He felt Sasuke squirm in response.

Sasuke growls when he realizes what Gaara had just done. That didn't stop the Kazekage though. He experimentally moves his finger.

After a few rather unflattering curses were thrown at him, suddenly he felt Sasuke jerk and moan. Ah ha! So that was the spot. Good to know.

"Nhhh fuck!" Sasuke groans in pleasure as Gaara hit that spot again and added a second finger.

The Kazekage rather adored the view that was presented to him. Sasuke's ivory skin against the beige of his walls. Not to mention that shapely backside was a plus. That and Sasuke's moans were always a joy to hear.

"This might hurt at first, but it'll feel good soon. I promise." He whispers as he buries himself inside his lover.

Hot and tight. Those were the first thoughts that came to Gaara's mind as soon as he was inside his new lover. He bites back a moan and barely resists the temptation to just cum right then and there. He should have done this sooner. A lot sooner.

Sasuke tenses and winces. That was the only sign of discomfort that the other man gave though. Gaara sighs and kisses his neck. His Aoi was a very, very stubborn creature.

"Just relax." He whispers again as he takes Sasuke's arousal into his hand and strokes him while he caresses the other man's chest.

That seemed to distract Sasuke a bit. Gaara adds a few soft kisses to his neck and soon Sasuke was sighing with contentment. When the Kazekage felt the other man buck back against him, that was all the consent that he needed.

He begins moving inside his lover. Just being joined with Sasuke this way was incredible, but he had no words to describe how good moving felt.

Sasuke tilts his head back just enough to kiss him. Gaara smiles and kisses back. That was his feisty Aoi. Always so eager to prove that he could handle anything.

"I would be disappointed, if you didn't." Gaara informs him as he slams into his lover.

God, that felt GOOD. He couldn't believe how tightly Sasuke was wrapped around him. He reveled in the sensation.

Every moan and sensation, he treasured. Gaara could feel the warmth of Sasuke's skin against his own and even his scent fanned the flames of his desire further. Perhaps he got a bit carried away when he began to ravish the other man thoroughly against the wall.

"Fuck! Right there!" Sasuke hisses in pleasure as he arches against his lover.

He would likely have bruises from being pushed against he wall so much, but at the moment Sasuke didn't care. It just felt so fucking good. Every time that Gaara hit that spot inside him, he swore that he saw stars.

Sasuke writhes in pleasure as the two began to move as one. He had never felt so full before. He knew that for once, someone's attention was focused fully on him and not just because of his strength. Gaara loved him. The red head might actually love him a little too much really.

"You feel so good." Gaara growls into his ear in approval as he slides in and out of Sasuke harder and faster, making even the sand chains shake against the wall.

If he let him, Sasuke was sure that his lover would probably literally love him to death. The red head was quite vigorous. Well if he was going to die, this would be a nice way to go out.

"Sasuke groans in pleasure as the red head slams into his spot again. Soon neither of the lovers was coherent. It was a desperate symphony of moans, pants, and growls of pleasure. Neither of them could think of anything else, but each other as they spiraled over the edge.

Saskue squirms when he felt the evidence of Gaara's arousal coat his insides. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't painful. It was just foreign. After their hot lovemaking session, in a way the cool feeling was a bit of a relief. That was perhaps the first coherent thought that he could manage as Gaara slides out of him.

"Wow." Sasuke pants as he tries to catch his breath and Gaara releases him from the chains.

"Yeah. We should have done that a lot sooner." Gaara says as he struggles to catch his own breath.

"Mhm." Sasuke agrees and he turns around, wrapping his arms around the red head's neck and then blinks.

Really? He couldn't believe it. The damn butterfly was still there. What the Hell?! Was he going to have to file a restraining order against the insect?

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Gaara asks in concern, wondering if perhaps he had been too rough on his lover.

"Yes, I'm fine. It seems like the butterfly stayed for the entire show. Unbelievable." He mutters.

The Kazekage blinks at that announcement and looks around. Sure enough, there was a purple butterfly. A purple butterfly who was still in his office and was apparently a voyeur.

"This is starting to get a little unnerving." Gaara admits and Sasuke nods in agreement.

"Mmm well we might as well give it another show." Sasuke says with a smirk.

With that being said, Sasuke swiftly proceeds to bend Gaara over his desk. This time he was in charge. He couldn't let the red head get any crazy ideas about him being Kaito or something.

"Sasuke!" Gaara growls warningly.

"It's my turn. Just relax." The Uchiha says, throwing the other man's earlier words right back at him.

There was something really alluring about the way that Gaara's backside was bent over that desk and the contrast between his blood red hair and fair skin. Not to mention the well sculpted muscles that were on full display.

Gaara wasn't aroused at the moment. He had just come, but Sasuke knew that he could fix that easily enough. He smirks and leaves a trail of kisses and playful bites along the red head's back as he strokes his cock teasingly.

"You're an evil cocktease." The Kazekage snaps at him and groans as he bucks into his hand.

Sasuke just smirks in response. Gaara might feign protests, but there was no denying that he was getting turned on by the not so subtle show of force.

"I might be evil, but I'm very good at it." He whispers hotly into the red head's ear as he nibbles on it and continues teasing his lover.

Gaara shivers from the promise in those words. He had never really thought about being on the receiving end of their lovemaking, but it looked like Sasuke desired a more equal power dynamic in the bedroom (or maybe he should say his office.) Who was he to say no?

"Ah there it is." Sasuke mutters when he finds the bottle of lubrication that apparently the Kazekage had snuck in somehow.

That thought brought a smirk to his face as he generously coats his fingers. Gaara had been thinking about this for awhile. He had thought about it enough that he had planned ahead.

"Uchiha, I know that you are smirking." Gaara says.

"Why wouldn't I be? I have a hot red head bent over a desk. A hot red head who has apparently been fantasizing about having office sex with me for a long time? I have every reason to be cocky." Sauske retorts as he slides his fingers inside Gaara.

Gaara squirms when he feels the sudden intrusion. The young Kage could tell that his lover had used lubrication and that was a damn good thing. He had never been taken before. It would have been painful, if he hadn't. Now it just felt slightly awkward.

The red head decides not to dignify that with a response. Sasuke just smirks and moves his fingers faster, exploring. He knew that Gaara had to have a spot somewhere. Eventually, the red head lets out a rather lustful moan. There it was.

"Just fuck me!" Gaara practically snarls at him in pleasure.

"Gladly." Sasuke replies as he slowly buries himself deep inside his lover.

The Kazekage was so hot and tight. Was this what Gaara felt when he took him? No wonder, he wanted to top so badly. This was euphoric.

Gaara bucks back against Sasuke encouragingly. He knew enough about sex now to realize that it wouldn't take the other man long to find his spot and he didn't want the Uchiha to think he was made of glass. Fortunately, Sasuke was perceptive enough to get the massage.

"So needy." He teases him as he slams into his lover again and again.

Every thrust made them both groan with pleasure. The room was soon filled with the sounds of heated moans, screams of carnal bliss, lustful growls, and desperate pants. Every time they joined together, Sasuke swore that he could see stars.

There would never be anything better than sex with Gaara as far as he was concern. The way he was wrapped so tightly around him and was bent over that desk incredibly erotic. He smirks and kisses his lover's neck before biting down lightly and slamming into him faster and harder.

"Yes!" Gaara snarls lustfully.

The red head also seemed to favor a more aggressive style of lovemaking. That was just fine with Sasuke. He slams into him harder and faster. The desk began to shake under the force of their coupling, but neither noticed or cared.

Sasuke quickly strokes Gaara with one hand and toys with his nipples with the other. The way the red head moaned and arched underneath him told him that he was onto something. Gaara liked to be touched in as many places as possible when they were together.

"Sasuke!" Gaara screams out in pleasure as his orgasm overtook him.

"Gaara!" Sasuke joins him in bliss almost simultaneously.

After a few moments of trying to catch their breath, the last Uchiha slowly slides out of his lover. That had been amazing. All of it. Being taken and doing the taking were equally mindblowing.

 **End of Lemon**

"Wow." Sasuke says as he tries to will his heart to stop beating so fast.

"Yes, that would seem to be an accurate description." Gaara agrees as he pulls Sasuke to him for a heated kiss.

Sasuke smiles and kisses back. He never thought that he would actually have this. After everything that he did, he didn't deserve love. He had found it though.

That made him happy. It made him so happy, that he didn't even mind the fact that a perverted butterfly had likely been watching them have sex for hours.

"I love you." Sasuke whispers.

"I love you too." Gaara says with a brilliant smile.

He couldn't believe that Sasuke had actually said that. Sasuke loved him. He really loved him. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Meanwhile Jada was thoroughly briefing his grandson and granddaughter. They were his best chance at ensuring that he had influence over the Uchiha. It was of vital importance that they not mess this up.

"I am not entirely certain which gender he prefers, so you are both to try your best to seduce him. Do not let him become aware of the fact that you are brother and sister. If Sasuke knows that, he'll become suspicious. Then all our planning will be for naught." He informs them.

His granddaughter was a twenty year old woman with long purple straight hair that came all the way to her waist, a curvy figure, and ruby red eyes. She was quite frankly his pride and joy. Her name was Akemi.

"He's certainly a handsome one, but what makes you think that he'll be receptive to either of us?" She inquires.

"Well look at us? Who could possibly resist us? It doesn't matter if he likes men or women, he'll fall for one of us. That's a given." Keita says.

Keita was his grandson. He had ruby red eyes like his sister, but blonde hair that was styled similarly to how the Fourth Hokage had worn his hair. His athletic build made him rather popular with the women of the Sand Village.

Unfortunately, he was mostly brawn and very little brains. Jada loved his grandson dearly, but he was far from the sharpest kunai in the box. That was regrettable.

Oh well. One couldn't have everything. At least he was very loyal to his family and that's what mattered most.

"Don't be an idiot. He's had people throwing themselves at him since forever. If it was as simple as having a pretty face, he would have already been married by now." Akemi reasons.

Jada nods in agreement. Fortunately, they had more than just their looks on their side. They also had information. He had secured all of Sasuke Uchiha's files, including the psychological ones.

"Exactly. I want you both to memorize these files from top to bottom. They are filled with information about his health, his intelligence, his likes, his dislikes, any potential areas of concerns, and speculation about what would interest him in a companion." He explains.

"Cool! This is going to make it so easy!" Keita exclaims and Akemi rolls her eyes.

Honestly, sometime she was half tempted to ask for a DNA test. She had a hard time believing that Keita was actually her brother. Then she would look at his eyes that were so similar to her own and realize that she had simply gotten all the brains in their family.

"Thank you, grandfather. This will be most helpful." She says with a sweet smile as she heads off to read her copy of the files.

"Yeah! Thanks! You're the best." Keita says as he proceeds to do the same.

"This will work. This has to work." Jada whispers to himself and he then proceeds to pour himself a glass of sake.

Jada wasn't an idiot. This was far from a full proof plan. By the end of the day, he was sure that he was going to need to be at least mildly intoxicated to get over his nerves as he watched and hoped that one of his grandchildren would be able to win the heart of Sasuke Uchiha.


	15. Chapter 15

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Revision:** For those interested, I partially revised chapter 14's office scene. If you want to go back and read the new version, you can. It doesn't change the essential plot though.

Chapter 15

The next day, Sasuke wakes up curled into the arms of his lover. He wasn't entirely sure when they actually made it to Gaara's bedroom. Maybe the red head had carried him back, after he fell asleep?

He decides it didn't matter. He was very comfortable. Sasuke could get used to not waking up alone, he muses.

"Morning." Gaara says as he runs his fingers through the last Uchiha's raven tresses.

There were definitely far worse ways to wake up than in the arms of a sexy red head. Suddenly, it was rather tempting to just spend the rest of the day in bed. If Gaara was up for it, Sasuke wouldn't say no to another lovemaking session.

That or they could just spend the day embracing and talking. Maybe they'd read the next chapter of **Prisoner of Love.** He was flexible.

"Morning. How long was I out?" The other ninja asks curiously.

"A few hours. We must have fallen asleep, after everything. I woke up before you. So I carried you here. I thought it would be more comfortable than waking up on my office's floor. The rugs are quite nice, but they are more for decoration than comfort." The red head points out.

Sasuke nods. He had seen those rugs. They were beautiful. Outside of the Sand, they probably cost a fortune. It was considered something of a status symbol to be able to own rug from the Sand Village.

"I appreciate it. You're right. They are beautiful rugs, but I'd rather wake up in a bed." Sasuke says with a sly smile as he kisses Gaara.

Gaara smiles and kisses back. He was likely growing to become spoiled by this. He didn't think that Sasuke would ever return his feelings, let alone agree to become his lover. He had though.

He wasn't entirely certain how it had happened, but somehow Sasuke had moved on. He wasn't in love with Naruto. He was in love with HIM and that made the red head feel incredibly good.

"I'll remember that for future reference." The Kazekage replies with a smile of his own.

"Good. Don't you have Kazekage Duties you have to attend to though? I don't want to interfere with your work." Sasuke asks.

The young man frowns. Sasuke was right. He did have work to do. In particular, he had to figure out what had happened to the Councilwoman. Unfortunately, that meant that he would have to get out of bed. He wasn't eager to do that.

"You're right. Is it selfish of me to say that I don't want to focus on such practical concerns though?" The Kazkeage inquires.

"Maybe a little. It's okay though. That just makes you human. We can always pick up where we left off later. That and Ayume will likely want me at the hospital by now." Sasuke murmurs.

Now that sounded promising. Sasuke was implying that they would be making good use of his desk, office wall, or maybe bed later. Speaking of beds, it would probably be a good idea to actually have sex on one. So far they hadn't.

"Alright. I suppose that I should get dressed and get to work then." He says with a sigh.

The last Uchiha nods his head in agreement. He knew that Gaara was a professional. While the idea of spending the day in bed with his new lover was definitely an appealing one, Gaara had important work to do and so did Sasuke.

"That'd be a good idea. Though I really think that we should shower before we go anywhere." The raven haired man points out.

"Hmm on one hand, if we shower together that's certainly a good example of water conservation." Gaara muses.

Sasuke nods with mock seriousness. The Kazekage was obviously feeling playful and he didn't have any problem indulging him. This could be interesting.

"Which is obviously important, especially in a desert." He says.

"Very important. On the other hand, it would be rather hard to resist the impulse to just spend the rest of the day with you in the shower or in bed. It'll be almost impossible for me to get any work done." The young Kage says with a sigh.

"That's true. I think we should risk it though." Sasuke says with a smirk as he drags his lover into the bathroom.

He smiles and turns on the hot water. A sexy shower seemed like a great way to start the day. Gaara seemed to agree, despite his feigned protests because he got behind Sasuke and wraps his arms around him.

"This has to be some kind of test of my self-control." Gaara observes as he kisses the back of Sasuke's neck.

"Maybe a little." The raven haired man admits as he turns around and starts lathering his lover in soap.

The Kazekage smiles at the sensual and tender gesture. It was nice to have someone who cared for him in this way. Showers were apparently a much more enjoyable activity when you weren't alone.

"I'm not entirely certain that I'll pass it. Thank you, for taking my mind off of everything. I needed that distraction." Gaara confesses as he begins washing Sasuke's hair for him.

"Mmm well any time that you need an distraction, you know where to find me." Sasuke says as rinses off the soap from his red head and starts on Gaara's hair.

His lover proceeds to rinse off Sasuke's hair and starts of his body. Damn. This was extremely distracting.

A few minutes later and Gaara decided that sexy shower time should only be done when he wasn't getting ready for work. That was some form of erotic torture. It was really tempting to just neglect his Kazekage Duties for a day or two.

"I'll be back soon." He promises.

"I know. That and like I said, I should probably get to the hospital." Sasuke replies as he dries off and dresses.

Gaara soon follows suit. Damn it. He loved being Kazekage, but he had never had to choose between being a responsible Kage and his lover before. He felt like he deserved some kind of medal for his dedication to his village, after all this.

"Alright. I need to find out what happened to Kiara and you have some people to patch up." Gaara says as he flickers off.

Sasuke nods in agreement. It didn't' take long for the last Uchiha to teleport off to the hospital. He knew the place like the back of his hand at this point. It was easy to get there and back.

Meanwhile Gaara heads to his office and looks over Kiara's files. There had to be something. Maybe he could prove that Jada had done it.

"Hey, Gaara." Kankuro says as he enters his office.

"Good morning, Kankuro." He greets his brother.

The red head knew that Kankuro as having some degree of difficulty in accepting his relationship with Sasuke. That was alright though. Eventually, Kankuro would come around.

He couldn't entirely blame the puppet master for being skittish of the last Uchiha. After all, he had once attacked the Kage Summit. Despite that, he wasn't going to allow anyone to come between him and his Aoi. If Kankuro really wanted to press the issue, he would regret it.

"I wish I could say the same thing. People are starting to realize that something's up with Kiara. Should we make the announcement that she's gone missing? She normally visit's the Academy at least once a month to check in on things. You know how much she loves being around the kids." Kankuro says.

Gaara sighs. Damn it. If he announced that she was missing, that would only alert Jada that they were onto him. That snake would probably slither off somewhere or find a way to cover his tracks.

"We'll stall as much as we reasonably can." The red head says.

"Right. Gaara, what happened to your neck?" He asks.

"It's nothing to concern yourself about. Sasuke is just a little possessive and likes to give me lovebites. I do the same to him. It's perfectly fair." The red head explains as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

To Gaara, there was nothing to be ashamed about. He loved Sasuke and Sasuke loved him. There was no reason to hide the fact that they were lovers from anyone.

Kankuro apparently wasn't of the same opinion though. His brother suddenly looks a little green around the gills at that explanation. It was one thing to know that Gaara had a thing for Sasuke. It was quite another to hear about their _quality time_ together.

"I still can't believe that he prefers men. I thought he wanted to restore his Clan." He says.

"He doesn't need to sleep with a woman to do that. There's always surrogacy." Gaara points out a little defensively.

He couldn't give Sasuke children of THEIR own. They would only have Sasuke's DNA or his. That didn't really matter to Gaara, but it might to him. It irked him that almost any woman could have easily provided Sasuke with something that he just couldn't.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. You two aren't that serious are you? There isn't going to be an army of mini Uchihas running around soon, is there? Because that's kinda terrifying." The puppet master asks.

"Kankuro, children are children. It doesn't matter who their parents are. Not that matters at the moment. Our relationship is too new for such things." His brother replies.

The puppet master sighs in relief. Well thank goodness for small miracles. Gaara seemed head over heals for the Uchiha. It looked like it was mutual, but you could never be sure.

"That's good. So I'll try to stall about the Kiara situation. Do you really think that Jada actually did it though? He can be a jerk, but I don't think he's a cold blooded murder like that." The other man says.

Gaara shakes his head. He didn't want to believe the worst about another Sand Villager, but he knew the truth. While Jada didn't go around killing for fun, he would kill when threatened. He was just very good at hiding the bodies.

"I'm almost positive. I'd be shocked, if that wasn't the case. Thank you, Kankuro. It's good to know that I can count on you in times like these. I'll overlook the fact that you are apparently terrified of children." He says slyly.

Gaara could understand the puppet master being scared of Sasuke, but his children were another matter. Honestly, what did Kankuro expect? Did he think that they'd come out of the womb able to perform the Amatersau or something equally ridiculous?

"I'm not scared of kids. I'm just scared of HIS kids. Big difference." Kankuro defends himself.

"Oh yes. I'm sure that Uchiha babies are born breathing fire and with their Sharingans fully activated." Gaara snorts in amusement as he playfully rolls his eyes.

"You laugh now, but that might actually be the truth!" The other man protests.

Gaara just shakes his head and dismisses Kankuro. Well at least the other ninja was beginning to accept his relationship with Sasuke. It was a start.

He wasn't foolish. There were obviously going to be people who objected to their relationship. That didn't matter to Gaara though.

He had found his Aoi and that was that. Nobody was going to change his mind. He was in love. It really was that simple.

Elsewhere Sasuke arrives at the hospital. Today, his first patient was a woman named Akemi. He smiles when he walks in.

"Sorry, that I'm a bit late. I hope you weren't waiting too long." He says as he heads into the exam room.

"Oh that's alright. It was only five minutes. That and you're worth waiting for. How many people can honestly say that they had an Uchiha for a doctor?" She asks with a giggle.

Sasuke blinks. Was she flirting with him or not? She was giggling. Yeah. She was flirting with him.

Nevermind. It didn't matter. She was hardly the first to make a pass at him while he was working. Actually, he was relieved that Gaara wasn't aware of how flirtatious some of his villagers were. It probably wouldn't have ended well, if he knew how often Sasuke got hit on while he was at the hospital.

"Thanks. So are you in any pain or do you have any questions before we begin?" He asks, deciding to ignore the subtle flirtation for now.

"Not really. Though I think I should get a breast exam. I haven't had one in awhile." She says.

Akemi wasn't shy. That was about as subtle as Naruto was about ramen. Sasuke mentally sighs and tries to pretend to be oblivious. Sometimes that worked.

"Alright then." The Uchiha says and a few minutes later, he wraps up her physical.

He could tell that she was sulking a bit. Well too bad. Honestly, she should thank him. Sasuke may have saved her life by not responding to her advances. Gaara struck him as the jealous type.

"You're perfectly healthy." He assures her.

"That's good. Maybe we should celebrate my good health. We could go out for drinks sometime?" She slyly asks.

"I don't really drink much. Sorry." Sasuke says, hoping that would be that.

Apparently, it wasn't. She was persistent. Sasuke didn't know whether to be flattered or annoyed.

"Well we don't have to drink alcohol." Akemi offers diplomatically.

"Akemi, Sasuke has other patients that he needs to see. You heard him. You're fine." Ayume says, peeking into the room.

She knew a disaster in the making when she saw it. This certainly qualified. She had heard rumors that Sasuke was seeing holding Gaara's hand around the village. Even if they weren't true, he didn't like women. She certainly wasn't going to allow Akemi to make her newest medic feel uncomfortable with her advances. Her newest medic and friend, by the way!

"Alright. Well if you change your mind, here's my address." She says a she grabs a pen and writes it down on his hand, before darting off.

"Thanks for the save." He says with a sigh as the butterfly lands on his arm.

Really, it could be rather annoying how some people couldn't take no for an answer. Akemi was one of them. She was beautiful, but far too pushy for his liking. Even if he had liked women, Sasuke wouldn't have been interested in her.

"You're welcome. I could tell that you were rather uncomfortable with her advances. That and from what I hear, I may have just have prevented a murder." Ayume observes with a quiet laugh.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wasn't really sure where Ayume was going with this and now Itachi was sitting on his hand in disapproval. Sasuke glares at the insect.

It wasn't like he was trying to cheat on Gaara. The woman had just throw herself at him. What was he supposed to do? Chidori her for being desperate? He couldn't believe a butterfly was looking at him all disapprovingly. This was ridiculous!

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke asks.

"From what I hear, you and the Kazekage have grown quite close. Is there any truth to the rumor going around that you two were spotted walking around the village, holding hands?" The medic inquires slyly.

"That's true. Gaara and I are together now." Sasuke says.

There was no point in denying it and he really didn't want to. Gaara was fine with their relationship being public knowledge. He was the one who had the most to lose from that, so why should Sasuke be skittish about telling other people that they were together?

"Oh that's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you. I have to admit that I was curious why he would suddenly offer you the chance to transfer. Were you two already involved before you came to the Sand?" Ayume asks excitedly.

Sasuke found himself smiling at Ayume's reaction. It was nice to have a normal friend. Someone who was happy for him when he had good news and that he didn't have to throw a punch at for them to understand what he was feeling.

Naruto would always be his best friend, but Ayume was different. She actually listened. Naruto usually didn't. He meant well, but the blonde just wasn't a good listener.

"No. We weren't together then. It's a pretty recent development actually." Sasuke says.

"That does explain the marks on your neck as well. I have been wondering about those." The middle aged woman muses and Sasuke could only blush in response.

A short while later, Sasuke returns home. He smiles when he sees Gaara was still at his desk. The desk that he had taken the red head's virginity on by the way. Suddenly, Sasuke was a lot more fond of furniture than he had been before making love with the Kazekage.

"Hey, any luck?" He asks.

"Unfortunately, no. I asked Kankuro to stall for time. Kiara was quite beloved in our village. It was only a matter of time before someone began to notice her disappearance. I don't want Jada to know that we know. Once that happens, he'll have his guard up. That will make things unnecessarily difficult. The red head says with a groan.

"Don't worry about it. We'll deal with the bastard. There's something that I need to talk to you about though." Sasuke says as he walks over to Gaara and kisses his forehead.

"I'm listening. What's wrong?" The Kazekage asks.

That phrase generally didn't end well. Still Sasuke didn't seem upset. Maybe he was overreacting. He shouldn't be that nervous about such a simple declaration.

"Nothing yet. I just wanted to know, how jealous of a person are you?" Sasuke asks.

"In general, I don't know. I can't lie though. The thought of anyone else trying to touch you, makes me want to Sand Coffin them. Why do you ask?" Gaara replies in confusion.

Sasuke shivers. He definitely believed Gaara when he said that. It should have frightened him, but part of him was actually happy to hear that response. It was erotic in a way.

He knew that such a reaction wasn't healthy. Sasuke didn't really care though. There were a lot of things that he thought that weren't normal. Who cared about being normal anyway?

"It's just that sometimes my patients get a little…overly friendly. I'm not interested. I don't want them, but it happens sometimes." He says.

"I'm not going to Sand Coffin people for recognizing that you're highly desirable, if they don't realize that you're mine. If they aware of that fact, then there will be an issue." Gaara replies.

"Alright. I can live with that. I can't lie, I'd probably want to Amaterasu someone for flirting with you." Sasuke says as he sits in Gaara's lap.

"I think that's the second most romantic thing that you've ever said to me, after I love you." The Kazekage observes.

Sasuke smirks. Of course, Gaara would find the idea of him burning someone to a crisp attractive. Maybe in some very twisted way, that was just another sign that they were made for each other.

"I do try." Sasuke says as he kisses Gaara.

Gaara returns the kiss and wraps his arms around Sasuke's waist. The last Uchiha didn't waste any time in deepening the kiss. Gaara was once again reminded of the fact that from now on, it was going to be much harder to focus on work. That was alright though.

He still didn't sleep much. He could fully enjoy the fact that he had a gorgeous lover and still manage to get his Kage Duties done. In a way twisted way, he was suddenly grateful to the One Tails. He had made sure that Gaara could function on very little sleep and that was a very, very good thing.

Elsewhere in the Sand Village, Akemi finds her grandfather. She sighs. Her attempt to seduce Sasuke was largely a bust. She had given him her address, but she didn't have high hopes that he would stop by.

"How did your attempt to seduce Sasuke Uchiha fare?" Jada asks anxiously.

He knew that Akemi had a physical scheduled today. That was the perfect chance to win Sasuke over. Hopefully, he would fall in love with Akemi. That would be his preference.

"He didn't seem interested. I gave him my address, but I think we're going to have to rely on Keita." She grumbles.

Damn it. That was what he had been afraid of. Well Keita was a handsome boy. This could still work. Jada could only hope that it would.

"Go find your brother. I need to speak with him immediately." He says and Akemi nods, bounding off to do exactly that.

It didn't take her long to return with the handsome blonde. Jada mentally sighs and gives him the once over. This could still potentially work. If Sasuke preferred men, Keita might be enough to catch his interest.

"You wanted to speak with me, grandfather?" Keita asks.

"Yes. It seems that Akemi was unsuccessful in her attempts to win Sasuke over. That is why you must succeed where she didn't. This is important, Keita. The Kazekage already dislikes me. A firm hold over the Uchiha would be to our benefit." He explains.

"I'll give it my best shot. I mean it can't be that hard. He's got to prefer men. No straight man has ever turned Akemi down." He says with a laugh.

Akemi sighs. While that was true, she really wished that her brother would take this mission more seriously. The future of their family was potentially on the line. Would it kill him to act like an adult?

"That's true. Good luck. I gave you his files. I'm certain that you won't let me down." Jada says with a smirk.

Keita nods in agreement. He could do this. For once, he was going to do something better than Akemi. He had never thought that seduction would be the thing that he finally beat her at, but he wasn't going to quibble.

"Don't worry. I'll handle him." Keita says with a smirk.

In the blonde's mind, there was no possible way he could fail. He'd charm Sasuke with ease. Then his grandfather wouldn't have to worry so much about that meddling Kazekage. Everything was going to turn out just fine. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why his grandfather and sister were so worried. He knew what he was doing!


	16. Chapter 16

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and if you are interested, feel free to check out _**Hope Never Dies**_. It's my second Sasuke x Gaara story, but it's a sci-fi one.

Chapter 16

A few days later and Sasuke was eating at the Ramen Shop with Naruto. It was recently opened. Gaara had ordered its construction, after hearing about how much the blonde loved ramen. So now the Sand had gotten its Ramen Shop and the last Uchiha was dining on cheap noodles with his former teammate.

"Everything is going good then?" Naruto asks as he slurps his noodles.

"Pretty good. Gaara has some issues with one of the Council members though." Sasuke whispers.

He knew that it was important to whisper. The raven haired ninja didn't want anyone to overhear what he was telling Naruto. The last thing that Sasuke wanted was for Jada to realize that Gaara was suspicious of him.

"Anything that I should know about?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"Maybe. It's not something we can discuss here though." Sasuke says as he takes another bite of his ramen.

He wasn't really sure if Naruto would be able to do anything about the Jada situation. He knew that Gaara was going to tell the blonde about it anyway. The Kazekage kept no secrets from his fellow Jinchuuriki.

"Definitely going to talk to Gaara about it. Other than that though, what about you? Do you like being a medic? Are you and Gaara still you know, getting along?" The other ninja asks.

Gaara didn't keep any secrets from Naruto. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if the red head had discussed their relationship with him. Maybe he hadn't. After all, the Kazekage knew that Sasuke once loved Naruto as more than a friend and Gaara struck him as the possessive type.

He probably wouldn't want to share the more intimate details of their relationship with Naruto. That would be extremely awkward. On second thought, Sasuke decides that his lover probably hadn't discussed their relationship with the Jinchuuriki. That was something of a relief.

"I'm getting used to it. Mostly they have me working on physicals and other minor things like that at the moment. It keeps me busy and it's useful though. It's nice to be known for something other than destruction. Oh and Gaara does seem to like my uniform." Sasuke says with a smirk.

That elicited the desired result. Naruto starts choking on his ramen and Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. The blonde still hadn't completely wrapped his mind around the fact that two men could be together. The uniform comment had probably been a little mean, but it was fun to watch Naruto flail about helplessly.

"H-e what?!" Naruto asks, after he finally stops choking.

"I think he likes the uniform. He can't wait to get me out of it anyway." Sasuke says with a shrug and he smirks more when Naruto turns bright red.

The loser was blushing. This was priceless. One of the strongest ninjas on the planet was blushing like an Academy Student. That was hilarious.

"R-ight. Well I guess that means things are still going really well with you two. I'm happy for you. I'm still not sure how that works when you two are you know, kissing and stuff. I'm glad that you found love though." The blue eyed ninja offers.

Sasuke had once loved Naruto like a lover, but now things were different. Oh he still loved the idiot, but it was more of a brotherly affection now. The Uchiha had come to accept that the other man just wasn't wired that way.

That and now he had a sexy red head instead. Apparently, blondes did not have more fun than red heads. Well at least, not in Gaara's case. That thought brought another smirk to the last Uchiha's lips.

"Well I suppose that Gaara could always lend you a copy of his favorite book. It would explain exactly how that works for you, if you're curious." Sasuke says.

"No! No! Um I'm good! I really don't know how Hinata would react, if she saw me reading about two men being together!" The Leaf Ninja replies nervously.

"That's a good point. Are things going well between the two of you?" Sasuke asks.

Naruto nods his head vigorously. He really liked being married and their Honeymoon period was far from over yet. He felt bad for not noticing Sasuke's feelings, but Hinata was the one for him.

"Yeah! We're great!" The ninja exclaims.

"Good. Anyway, I imagine that Gaara's finished with the Council Meeting by now. Let's go find him and we'll fill you in on everything." Sasuke suggests as he pays for his ramen.

"Yeah! Great idea." Naruto agrees as he does the same.

Sasuke was walking out of the Ramen Shop, when he bumped into someone. The two of them go tumbling and somehow Sasuke ends up on top of the other man in a rather suggestive position.

"Hey. Damn. Talk about falling for a guy." The other blonde says.

That's when the last Uchiha got a good look at the man who had bumped into him. He was a handsome blonde. Of course, Sasuke didn't think that he could hold a candle to Gaara. He was just making an observation.

"Does that line actually work?" Sasuke asks in amusement as he gets up and helps the Sand Ninja up.

He had to be a ninja. It was rare for a civilian to have a body like that. Sasuke glances at him a bit more thoroughly and decides that they were likely around the same age as well. The Sand apparently had a way of breeding a lot of rather fortunate looking ninjas, it seemed.

"I don't know. You tell me. You're the first person that I've used it on." He says with a charming smile.

Well he had a nice smile and was a good sport. He was no Gaara though. Poor guy didn't realize that he was barking up the wrong tree.

"It might work on someone else. You alright? I didn't mean to smack into you like that." The raven haired ninja apologizes.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I hear that you're a medic now though. You could always kiss it better. I'm Keita by the way." He says.

Naruto blinks as he watches the other blonde flirt with Sasuke. Oh yeah. He was definitely flirting. Hopefully, Gaara didn't find out about this. That wouldn't end well.

"And it was a nice try, but I'm taken." Sasuke says as he glances at Naruto.

He could only hope that his friend wouldn't say anything about this to Gaara. It was just a harmless flirtation. Keita probably didn't even know that Sasuke was already with Gaara. Now that he did, he'd likely back off.

"Shame. Well if you change your mind, I work at the Ninja Academy." He says.

"Good to know." Sasuke replies, not sure what else he should say.

He didn't want to be a jerk. Keita hadn't actually done anything wrong yet, but he didn't want to seem too interest. He sighs and gestures for Naruto to follow him.

"Does that happen a lot?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"Not really. Men tend to be more subtle about it than women. You should have seen this one patient that I had not that long ago. She came on STRONG. Whatever you do, don't tell Gaara about Keita. I don't want the guy Sand Coffined over nothing." Sasuke says.

"You're going to tell him though, right? It's not a good idea to keep secrets from your boyfriend." Naruto points out.

Sasuke sighs and nods. Yeah. He'd tell Gaara. He just wanted to make sure the red head was in a good mood first. If he didn't tell the Kazekage and he found out about it later, that would look bad.

"Yeah. I'll tell him." The raven haired ninja promises.

A short while later, Keita goes and finds his grandfather. He had to tell him what had happened. The blonde tries to suppress a shiver of shiver as he approaches his family member. He knew that Jada was not going to be pleased with the latest news.

"I'm sorry, grandfather. I don't believe that the Uchiha can be seduced. He's apparently already in a relationship." Keita informs him.

Jadar raises an eyebrow. .So the rumors were true then. He had been hearing rumors lately about the Kazekage and the last Uchiha. The Councilman just hadn't put much stock in them because they all sounded too fantastical to be true.

"Well that's unfortunate." He says with a sigh and his grandson nods in agreement.

It was a pity. Sasuke was pretty hot. Keita couldn't lie though, he was more than a little afraid of the other man. He knew enough about the last Uchiha to realize what he was capable of. If Sasuke lost his temper, he'd probably destroy the village or something crazy like that.

"Yeah. Oh well. I mean he's been here for months. He hasn't done anything too concerning. So I guess that's that." Keita replies.

"No. That isn't that. Just because he's the Kazekage's lover now, doesn't mean that he will be in the future. Fights do happen. It's a new relationship. We can easily drive a wedge between the two of them and then you will be there to comfort Sasuke." Jada reasons.

Keita blinks. That seemed like a pretty rotten thing to do. The Kazekage was a good Kage. He'd played a major role in their victory in the war and Sasuke had already suffered a lot. He didn't know what he would have done, if it had been his family that was Massacred. He was more inclined to just let it be.

"That's wrong though. It's not a big deal. We don't need to break up a relationship over that. I think that you're being a little paranoid." His grandson ventures cautiously.

He knew that his grandfather had a temper. Jada might be old, but he had ways of taking care of anyone who angered him. Keita was his grandson, but he wasn't completely naïve. The blonde knew what his grandfather was capable of and it wasn't pretty.

"Are you a ninja or are you some blushing Academy Girl? Pathetic. You're sister would not have hesitated. Do you believe that Sasuke was attracted to you or not?" He demands.

"Well he was looking, but that's different than actually touching. It'd probably be a good idea just to let things be. Like I said, he hasn't done anything and he's been here for awhile. Maybe you're overreacting?" The young man suggests.

Jada felt himself twitch. Why did Sasuke have to prefer men? Things would have been so much easier, if he liked women. Akemi wouldn't have hesitated to do what needed to be done. Apparently, Keita would though.

He could accept that Keita wasn't necessarily the sharpest kunai in the box, but this was too much. Jada wouldn't allow his grandson to be so weak. He couldn't believe that Keita actually believed in childish notions like love and mercy. The only love that you should have was the one you had for your village and your family.

"If you do not try, I will expose everything that you have ever done without the Kazekage's approval." He warns him.

Jada often had his grandchildren perform some of the more unpleasant tasks necessary for him to hold onto power. Keita had done a few things that certainly would have raised a few eyes. Perhaps it wasn't enough to land him in prison, but he would certainly be disciplined.

"Yes, grandfather. Please forgive me. I'll try my best." He says with a sigh.

"That's better. No grandson of mine is going to be a quitter. I'm certain that you will find a way to win him over. You still have your pretty face." Jada reminds him.

Keita felt himself twitch. He was proud of his good looks, but sometimes his grandfather irritated him. He WAS more than just a pretty face!

"Of course, grandfather. May I go? I have a lot of planning to do." He asks.

"You may good. Do not fail me." Jada says as his grandson flickers off.

Back the Kazekage Mansion, Naruto had just arrived with Sasuke. The two of them quickly headed into Gaara's office. The blonde was eager to find out what was going on with the Councilman and to catch up with his other friend.

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto says brightly.

"Hello, Naruto." The red head replies with a small smile as he walks over to Naruto and exchanges a brief hug with him and places a kiss on Sasuke's cheek.

Naruto's eyes widen in surprise at the gesture. Yeah. He knew that Sasuke and Gaara were together, but this was different.

Hearing about it and seeing it, were two completely different things. Seeing Gaara kiss Sasuke's cheek made the whole thing seem more real to him, in a way that it hadn't before. This was going to take some getting used to.

"I briefly mentioned the Jada situation. He'll need more details, of course." Sasuke says as he sits on Gaara's desk.

Yeah. They were definitely together. Naruto doubted that Gaara would have let many people sit on his desk like that.

"A Councilwoman named Kiara went missing. I believe that Jada may have killed her. I have no hard proof. This is all just my suspicion. I have been stalling for awhile. At the moment, she's listed as missing. Kiara was a rather beloved figure in our village, people are going to start asking questions." The young Kage explains.

Naruto blinks. Oh yeah. That was bad. That was really bad. No wonder why Sasuke hadn't wanted to talk about it at the Ramen Shop. This was serious business.

"Well you kinda need proof before you go around and accuse a Councilmember of assassination." The blue eyed ninja says.

"Exactly. That's the problem." Sasuke says.

Naruto frowns and nods as he considers the situation. They needed to find out if Jada had done it. He'd probably be watching his back now, if he really was behind it. They needed to find a way to get him to lower his guard.

"Well if you put a tracker on him with a camera, you could watch what he does." The blonde suggests.

"True. We'd still need someone to get close enough to implant the tracker though. That's far from easy." The Kazekage replies.

"The loser could do it. He's a war hero. Jada would probably be thrilled by the attention. He'd never suspect Naruto of being capable of that kind of thing either." Sasuke reasons.

Gaara tilts his head to the side as he considers it. It sounded like a very reasonable plan. This could work.

"Would you consent to such a thing?" The red head asks his friend softly.

"Of course, I would. I mean he's just an old man. It's not like I'm in any danger. Even if he has goons, they wouldn't be able to land a single scratch on me. I got this. I can do it. What are friends for?" The Leaf Ninja asks brightly.

Gaara smiles. He could see why Sasuke had loved Naruto. He was a good friend. Though he was really glad that the blonde was oblivious. Otherwise, he might never have won over his Aoi.

"Good point. Well it looks like you'll be staying for awhile. Would you like to stay a the Mansion or the Hotel?" He inquires.

"Hotel is good. From what Sasuke tells me, you two are kinda busy with…everything. I don't' want to walk in on you admiring his medic uniform or something." Naruto laughs as he flickers off.

"You told him about the medic uniform?" Gaara demands.

"Well I only said that I thought you liked it because you couldn't wait to get me out of it. I didn't exactly give him any explicit details about our sex life." The raven haired ninja defends himself.

Gaara shakes his head in amusement. Well he DID like the medic uniform on Sasuke. He just happened to like taking it off even more. While he wasn't in a hurry to reveal such things to Naruto, he didn't mind the blonde knowing that fact.

Sasuke was just having fun. It was good to see that he was able to maintain a normal friendship with Naruto, despite everything. Well it was normal by Sasuke standards. Most people probably would have found his friendship with the Leaf Ninja to be a rather unhealthy one, but the red head digressed.

"I should probably punish you for that, but I won't." Gaara says.

"How generous." Sasuke replies dryly.

"Yes, I thought so. I can't really punish you for stating the obvious. You do look very nice in your uniform." The red head says with a smirk.

Sasuke smiles and then grumbles. The damn butterfly had just poked him again! This was getting really annoying.

"Speaking of nice, there's something that I should tell you. I guess I should probably tell you before Itachi does." Sasuke growls.

The Kazekage tilts his head to the side in confusion. Itachi? What was Sasuke talking about? Itachi was dead. How was his brother going to tell Gaara anything?

"Sasuke, perhaps you have been working too hard. Itachi is dead." He reminds him.

"No. That's just what I call the butterfly." Sasuke informs him and Gaara raises an eyebrow at that announcement.

He didn't know whether to find that sweet or tragic. The last Uchiha had named a butterfly after his deceased brother. Gaara wasn't sure that he could see Itachi as being very butterfly-like, but it was the thought that counted.

"Of course. Who wouldn't name a butterfly after their brother?" He asks dryly.

"Well Kankuro isn't very butterfly like, but he wears a lot of makeup. You could name a ladybug after him." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"I'm certain that he'd be ever so flattered, if I named a ladybug after him. Unfortunately, there are no ladybugs in the Sand. They aren't native to the desert." The Kazekage points out.

Sasuke nods his head thoughtfully. He made a grand show out of doing so. The Uchiha pretended to be giving the very serious matter a great deal of thought.

"True. We want to be accurate when naming insects after our brothers. Anyway, there was this guy at the Ramen Shop. He flirted with me a bit. I don't think that he knew that we were together. So I let him down gently. Don't kill him." Sasuke says.

"AGAIN?! Another person was making advances towards you?!" Gaara demands.

"Yeah. Usually the men aren't as bold as the women. It doesn't matter though. You're the only one that I want." Sasuke informs him as he sits in Gaara's lap.

Well that made Gaara feel better. Still it was a bit irritating that all these people kept trying to steal HIS Uchiha. He was going to have to start Sand Coffining a few of them. Maybe that would drive the point home.

"I still don't like it, but I'm glad that you're honest with me." He says as he kisses him.

Sasuke smiles and kisses back. He liked that Gaara got jealous. It meant that he cared. Unfortunately, it wasn't safe to let him get too jealous. The red head was capable of doing some serious damage, if he got angry. That was one of the reasons why he was Kazekage.

"I don't want you to think that I'm keeping things from you. I've had too many secrets kept from me. I don't want to keep you in the dark." Sasuke says.

"Good. What was this one's name?" Gaara asks.

"Gaara, it doesn't matter what his name was. I'm not interested and I told him that I'm taken. I'm sure that the guy will back off." He says.

Gaara raises an eyebrow. He was getting a name. The Uchiha could be stubborn, but he was a red head. He was damn sure that he could be even more stubborn than the raven haired beauty who was currently sitting so comfortably in his lap, if he had to.

"I'm not going to do anything to him. I'm just curious." The Kazekage says.

Sasuke wasn't entirely certain that he believed that. Then again, Gaara was a Kage. He could probably find out by asking some of the villagers anyway. There really wasn't much of a point in trying to "protect" the man.

"He said his name was Keita. I didn't get a last name." Sasuke says.

"Keita?! Was he blonde?" The red head demands.

"Yeah. He was blonde. I don't get what that has to do with anything though." The last Uchiha says with a shrug.

Gaara clenches his fists. Damn Jada. Damn him to Hell. Obviously, the man had decided to have his grandson try to seduce Sasuke.

Whether or not Jada knew that Sasuke was already taken, the Kazekage wasn't sure. He did know one thing though. The Councilman's matchmaking attempts were clearly anything, but innocent.

"He's Jada's grandson." Gaara growls.

Jada's grandson. Sasuke blinks. Somehow, he doubted that was a coincidence.

A Councilwoman had gone "missing." Gaara suspected that Jada was behind it and now his grandson was hitting on Sasuke. That couldn't possibly just be a coincidence.

"Do you think that he's trying to distract me with his grandson?" Sasuke asks.

"It's possible. Keita is easy on the eyes and it's well known that he likes men and women. So it wouldn't be unexpected for him to express an interest in you." The red head mutters.

"You really don't have a reason to be jealous. I imagine that plenty of people would flirt with you. They probably just don't want to risk causing an international incident because you are Kazekage." Sasuke assures him.

"I don't want their attention. I only want yours. Though I would appreciate it, if Jada would not to force Keita's affections onto you. I do not care for that tactic at all." The young Kage says.

Sasuke nods in agreement. It was playing pretty dirty. He wasn't entirely certain if it had anything to do with the potential assassination or not. Jada might just want an alliance with the new Clan in the village. He might just be trying to find a way to exert influence over him.

Whether it was because of Kiara's potential murder or Jada just wanted more control over him, Sasuke didn't know. In many ways, he didn't care. This had gone too far.

"What are we going to do about his situation?" Sasuke whispers.

"Pretend to befriend Keita. If you are friendly towards him, he might think that he has a chance to seduce you. That might make him more talkative. Naruto is already going to try to bug Jada. One way or another, we are going to catch them in the act." The Kazekage assures him.

"Alright. Sounds good. Come on. It's been a long day. Let's get some sleep." Sasuke suggests with a smile as he extends his hand towards Gaara and gets up.

"Uchiha, we both know that it's likely going to be awhile before either of us gets any sleep in that bed." Gaara says and Sasuke just smirks.

"That's exactly my point. I didn't say when we were going to get some sleep." Sasuke says as he leads the red head to the bedroom and Gaara just smiles in response. (It was going to be a very long and satisfying night.)


	17. Chapter 17

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Hitmitsu is Japanese for secrets.

Chapter 17

Naruto knew what he had to do. He had to get a tracker on Jada. That meant he was going to the Himitsu Building. Himitsu meant secrets and the blonde felt that was a rather fitting name, really.

It was where all the Council Members met. As far as the Leaf Ninja was concerned, the secret that it was currently hiding was whether or not Jada had ordered Kiara's death. Naruto liked to give people the benefit of the doubt, but he trusted Gaara and Sasuke. If they thought that Jada was behind Kiara's "disappearance," he probably was.

"Hello!" He says brightly as he enters the building.

That got everyone's attention. All the Council Members looked up from whatever they were doing to glance at Naruto. Once they realized who was speaking, their eyes widened in recognition.

Naruto beams. Sometimes it could be really awesome to be famous. This just happened to be one of those times. No one was going to tell a war hero that they couldn't visit the Council. It was the perfect plan really.

"Naruto Uzumaki, this is quite the honor. To what do we owe this pleasure?" A man asks.

Naruto recognized him as Jada instantly. There was were several stone tablets on the Council's Desk. In front of every Council Member, was a tablet with their name carved onto it. Neat. The blonde couldn't help but think that that was rather convenient.

"Well I was visiting Gaara and thought it would be a good idea to stop in and meet all of you. After all, our villages are allies." The blonde says happily.

Naruto figured that the best way to get them to drop their guard was to go with the happy go lucky greeting. People tended to underestimate you, if you were cheerful.

"Ah a fine idea, indeed. Please have a seat. We would be happy to discuss whatever is on your mind." Jada says with a smile of his own.

Naruto didn't care for that smile. There was something so predatory about it. He knew that Jada probably intended it to be charming, but it reminded him too much of a snake.

"That's really nice of you! I know that you guys must be super busy with all your Council Duties and all." He offers.

"Oh one must always make time for friends." Jada says and the other Council Members nod in agreement.

Naruto didn't care about them at the moment though. They weren't his main target. No. His primary concern was Jada. Was this slick politician really a murderer or had he hired someone to kill his colleague?

The Leaf Ninja didn't know the answer to that question yet. He knew one thing though. One way or another, he was going to find out. The blonde was going to do so by placing a tracker on the old man.

"Oh yeah. I completely agree. Like Gaara and I, we live really far away from each other. I try to visit him as often as I can though." He states in a conversational tone.

"I'm certain that our Lord Kazekage appreciates that greatly. There are few things better than having your friend visit you." Jada replies.

How very fortunate, Jada thinks to himself. At the same time that his grandson was working on winning over the last Uchiha, he could sway Naruto to his side. His family would be unstoppable with those two as allies.

It really was a pity that the blonde was already married to the Hyuga Princess. If it weren't for that, Jada would have encouraged Akemi to seduce the Leaf Ninja. While he wouldn't have been happy to see her move to another village, it would have certainly expanded their influence and that was always a good thing.

"Yeah. I'm always happy to see him and I know that he feels the same way. It was really nice of him to add a Ramen Shop to the Sand Village. He knows it's my favorite food." The blonde continues.

"Ah yes. I quite enjoy the Ramen Shop as well." He says.

He didn't. Jada hated cheap food. It didn't matter though. He was more than willing to tell a few white lies, if it meant forming an alliance with someone as important as Naruto Uzumaki though.

"Awesome! What's your favorite kind of ramen?" Naruto asks as he high fives the older man.

"Chicken flavored ramen." Jada says as he awkwardly returns the friendly gesture.

He figured that there had to be chicken flavored ramen. Chicken went with everything. Honestly, the Councilman knew nothing about ramen flavors. So he had to wing it.

Jada decides it must have been working when Naruto goes to high five him. He truly detested how informal the younger generation was. He was a Councilmember. That position demanded a certain level of respect. High fives were not very respectful.

"Yeah. Chicken flavored is pretty good." Naruto says with a smile.

He knew that he had done it. The chip would now be embedded in his hand. It was so small that he doubted Jada would even notice it. The fact that their hands had smacked together would probably mask any minor pain that the chip inserting itself into him might have caused.

"Indeed it is." Jada agrees.

Ah this was the perfect opportunity to increase his power. Naruto was such a trusting individual. It would be easy to join his Inner Circle. Perhaps he would even be able to drive a wedge between him and the Kazekage. That would be wonderful.

Meanwhile Sasuke kisses Gaara and caresses his cheek. He knew that his lover wasn't entirely thrilled with his plan. If positions were reversed, Sasuke would feel the same way.

"He doesn't mean anything to me. I'm just going to get proof that he killed Kiara. You know that you're the one that I love you." Sasuke assures him.

"I know that. Keita doesn't though. He's also blonde." Gaara grumbles.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He failed to see what Keita's hair color had to do with anything. It seemed to matter to the Kazekage though.

"Yes, he's blonde. Why is that an issue?" The last Uchiha inquires cautiously.

"Naruto is blonde. You used to love Naruto. He might remind you of Naruto. You could transfer your old feelings for him onto Keita." The other ninja says.

Sasuke blinks. He had never thought of that. It was a silly concern though. He had a sexy red head now. He'd gotten over Naruto.

Naruto would always be his friend. His brother in all, but blood. The raven haired ninja no longer loved him though. Sasuke didn't love him in the same way that he loved Gaara.

"You're jealous of Keita because he's blonde? Gaara, you have nothing to worry about. I wasn't in love with Naruto because of his hair color." He tells him.

"Perhaps I am being silly. I've never been in love before though. I never dreamed that you might return my feelings. That's why I'm hesitant to send you on a mission like this. I trust you, but I don't trust Keita." The Kazekage admits.

The butterfly chooses that moment to land on Gaara's head. Sasuke smirks when he saw it poke the red head. That was better. At least for once, that damn butterfly wasn't poking HIM!

"You don't have anything to worry about, even Itachi knows that you're my most precious person now." He says with a smile.

"Well if the butterfly has decreed it so, then that must be the case." Gaara replies in amusement.

"Mhm. It's best just not to argue with Itachi. He's extremely stubborn. I better go find our dumb blonde and for once, I don't mean Naruto." Sasuke says as he flickers off.

Gaara shakes his head. Well Sasuke was Sasuke. It didn't matter how serious the situation was, he would always find a way to get a dig in at Naruto.

"That is the strangest friendship, that I have ever seen in my life." He says to himself.

All he could do now was wait. That unsettled Gaara, but he knew the reality of the situation. He needed proof. One didn't just accuse a Councilmember of murder lightly.

Back in the Leaf Village, Hinata was having lunch with Kakashi. She missed her husband horribly and she figured having lunch with his former teacher was the next best thing. That and she suspected that Kakashi knew more about what was going on than he was letting on.

"Thank you for inviting me to dine with you today. I have to admit, that it's not often that I get invited to lunch by such a beautiful woman. We'll have to be very careful not to make Naruto jealous." He says with a chuckle.

"Naruto isn't the type to get jealous. He's visiting Gaara in the Sand Village. I hope this visit is going better than the last one though." She says with a sigh.

Kakashi shakes his head. He didn't know how much Hinata knew. So he supposed he should probably try to ease the Hyuga Princess into it slowly. He wasn't going to mention Sasuke's former feelings for Naruto, but everything else was fair game really.

"Hinata, I won't lie to you. I am curious about how my former student is doing. You were in the Sand. Did he seem happy?" He asks.

"Well he was very angry with Naruto for awhile. Other that, I would say yes. It seems as though Sasuke is now a medic and he's involved with the Kazekage. Romantically." The bluenette replies with a blush.

Ah. So Hinata already knew. That was good. Of course, he already knew about Sasuke's new career path. Naruto had told him, but he appreciate Hinata telling him all the same.

"Does that bother you? The thought of Sasuke with Gaara or two men being together in general? I know that there are some who have their objections to such things." He asks.

"It doesn't bother me. It's unusual, but love is love." She mumbles, her blush darkening.

"That's true. Naruto is fortunate to have such a wise wife." Kakashi says with a grin.

Hinata smiles. Kakashi was a good man. He was late to almost everything and he never showed his face, but she knew that he cared about his former students. He cared about them deeply.

That didn't meant that he wasn't a pervert though. She suspected that Kakashi knew that Sasuke and Gaara had feelings for each other. Somehow, she was almost positive that he was involved in them getting together. She just wasn't exactly sure how large of a role he had played in the formation of their relationship.

"And such a wise teacher. I'm curious though. Did you play any role in Sasuke and Gaara getting together?" She asks.

"I may have given them a slight push." He says with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Hinata knew it! She knew that he had done something. She was going to die of curiosity, if he didn't tell her how though.

"What did you do?" She asks with a whisper.

"I placed book inside Sasuke's bags. It was a book that featured a romantic relationship between two men who were remarkably similar to Sasuke and Gaara. Apparently, it worked." He says with a chuckle.

She blinks. Oh that was brilliant. Brilliant, but potentially suicidal. It was amazing that Kakashi was still alive.

"Sasuke didn't get angry with you for meddling in his personal life like that?" Hinata asks in confusion.

"Oh I'm certain that he was and still is, but he'll thank me in the long run. I'm certain that the next book that I sent him will be even more helpful though." The Masked Ninja says with a smirk.

Hinata was almost afraid to ask. She wasn't entirely certain that she should ask, but curiosity was a powerful force. A force that proved too strong for even the Jonin woman to resist.

"What else did you send him?" She asks warily.

"A book of baby names. They might be two men, but they can use surrogates. Sasuke still has a Clan to restore. I'm certain that the Kazekage will be more than happy to assist him in this endeavor." He says cheekily.

"Kakashi, do you have a death wish?" Hinata gasps.

Kakashi shrugs. He knew that Sasuke would likely get angry with him, but in the long run he'd get over it. Besides, names were important. His own Sensei had named his son after ramen, after Jirayia had suggested it.

Clearly, he would have to step in. It was for the good of the child(ren). Kakashi knew that he couldn't allow his former student to name his children after tomatoes or something!

"No. I don't have a death wish. You worry too much. Deep down, Sasuke is as cuddly as a kitten." He says.

"Kakashi, I say this out of concern. Maybe you should go have Tsunade have a look at you. I really t-hink that you might have suffered one too many head injuries during the war." Hinata says.

The Copycat Ninja laughs and just shakes his head in response. He could understand why Hinata would have that reaction. Actually, he could understand why anyone would have that reaction.

He was fine though. Kakashi just knew the truth about Sasuke. Deep down, Sasuke was just a man who had been hurt too many times and wanted a family again.

Back in the Sand Village, Sasuke makes his way to the Academy. Keita said that he worked there. That was where he was most likely to find the flirtatious blonde.

"Oh hey, Sasuke!" He says cheerfully.

Sasuke preferred to be honest, when given a choice. He was a ninja though. Ninjas had to be willing to do whatever was necessary to complete their mission. Well this was necessary.

"Hi. I'm sorry. I know that you are probably busy with work. I just didn't have anyone else to talk to about this." He says with a quiet whisper and looks down at his sandals.

He could fake sadness easily. For most of his life, he had been sad. That was an emotion that came easy to him. He knew that he could trick Keita easily with some fake tears.

"Oh no! I just got off work actually. What's wrong? Is everything alright?" He asks in concern.

Sasuke almost felt bad about deceiving him. Keita did sound genuinely concerned. Then again, there was a very real possibility that the other ninja was just playing a part as well. That made Sasuke feel less guilty.

"I don't now. Remember how I told you that I was already involved with someone? We had a fight. Well not a fight exactly. It was more like a disagreement, but it was a disagreement about something really important." Sasuke mutters.

"That sounds horrible. Want to go somewhere more private? I doubt you want your personal life aired outside of the Academy." He offers kindly.

"I'd like that." Sasuke says with a "brave smile."

It was almost pathetic really. It seemed that gay men would fall for the "damsel in distress" card almost as quickly as straight men. Whatever.

While Sasuke detested using such dishonorable tactics, he wasn't going to argue with what worked. This was definitely working. That's what mattered most.

"This is my place." Keita says as he leads Sasuke into a rather luxurious looking apartment.

"Nice place." Sasuke says as he follows him inside.

If he didn't have such a viper for a grandfather, Sasuke might have at least considered a friendship with the other man. Hell, he might have considered more than that. He had Gaara though. Keita was no Gaara.

"Thanks. So what happened?" He asks.

"I want children. My lover is less than convinced though. My Clan was slaughtered when I was a child. It's always been my dream to restore it, but I love him. It hurts that he would just dismiss my wishes like this." He says.

As he was offering this lie, Sasuke mentally pauses. He wasn't really sure what Gaara would say on this topic. It sounded like something that was believable though.

It was certainly something that Ketia would believe. His Clan was killed. It'd only be natural that having a family would be important to Sasuke.

"Ouch. That's really rough. I'm sorry. Well it looks like you have a couple options." Keita offers.

"A couple options?" Sasuke asks uncertainly.

"Yeah. You can try to convince him to have children with you. That'd be ideal. You can give up your dream of having a family for him. That obviously wouldn't be ideal. That or you could leave him and find someone else who does want to have a family with you." He explains.

Sasuke bites his lower lip. He wanted to make it seem like he was seriously considering Keita's suggestion. That was all part of the plan. He had to make Keita take him seriously.

"I'll have to think about it. I really care for him, but I don't know if I could do it. I don't know, if I could give up my dream of having a family again for him. I shouldn't have to do that." The raven haired ninja whispers.

"No. You definitely shouldn't have. There are a lot of people out there that would be happy to have a family with you. You're smart. You're gorgeous. You're strong. You even have a bloodline. Most people would jump at an offer from someone like you. I'm not really sure what this guy's problem is. Maybe he's suffered from one too many blows to the head." The blonde suggests.

Sasuke pretends to force a chuckle. He wanted to give the appearance of trying to be "brave." That would seem more realistic.

Keita wasn't stupid enough to believe that he would be a complete basket case. He might have been a little naïve, but Sasuke doubted he was that gullible. This could work, but only if he played his cards right.

"Maybe." Sasuke says with another forced laugh.

"There's no maybe about it. This guy is definitely a little slow on the uptake. Don't worry about it. I'm sure that you'll figure it out one way or another. Family is very important." He says.

"Yeah. It is. Are you close to your family?" Sasuke asks.

Internally, he was smirking. Keita had completely taken the bait. He had the blonde, exactly where he wanted him now. Now, he just had to lure his prey in.

"Yeah. I'm really close with them. My grandfather can be a little bossy sometimes though. I guess that's to be expected. He's a Councilmember." Keita replies.

"Yeah. Council Members do tend to get a bit full of themselves, after awhile." Sasuke offers consolingly and Keita nods in agreement.

Elsewhere in the Sand Village, Gaara sighs. He didn't care for this. He didn't like it. He didn't like that Sasuke was essentially going to pretend to desire Keita to get answers.

They were a committed couple. He didn't mind their relationship being public and neither did Sasuke. This sort of thing should not be happening.

"Gaara, what's wrong?" Kankuro asks when he sees his brother, pacing around the village.

Yes, Gaara was definitely pacing. Something was wrong. Something big and Kankuro was going to find out what was bothering the red head.

"It's a long story." He says with a sigh.

"I got time. Wanna go back to your office and talk about it?" The puppet master offers.

"I'd like that." Gaara says as he teleports back to his office with Kankuro.

Kankuro looks at his brother a bit warily. He didn't know what was wrong, but clearly something was bugging Gaara. He just had to find out what was going on.

"What's wrong? You know that you can tell me, right?" He asks.

"It's Sasuke. As I said before, we think that Jada is responsible for Kiara's disappearance. I assume she's dead. Naruto is going to try to get close to Jada and put a tracker on him. Sasuke is going to try to get closer to Keita. Keita has already flirted with Sasuke." Gaara says.

Oh. So that's what it was. Gaara was jealous and worried that Sasuke might end up digging Keita a little too much.

"Gaara, I don't really like Sasuke. I can't lie about that, but it's obvious that he cares about you. That and I really don't think he's the type to cheat. He's had people throwing themselves at him since he was a Genin. If he was the type to sleep around, we'd all know by now. Stuff like that always gets out." His brother offers.

"Oh I know that Sasuke isn't the kind of person who would be unfaithful. I just don't like it. Our relationship is an open one. Not everyone is aware of it though. That will take some time. I don't like the thought of leaving him alone with Keita. He's too similar to Naruto. Sasuke had feelings for Naruto." He mutters.

Ohhh. Now he could see what was bugging Gaara. Kankuro didn't know Sasuke that well, but he could see why his brother would feel threatened by someone similar to Naruto. The last Uchiha clearly had strong feelings for the blonde and they might have been romantic at nature at some point.

"He's not going to leave you because the guy has the same hair color as Naruto. You're being a bit ridiculous. Besides, you're Kazekage. Hard to top that." Kankuro offers reassuringly.

"I know. Sasuke said something similar. I just want people to know that we are together. I dislike it when others make advances towards him." He admits.

Kankuro sighs. He couldn't believe he was saying this. He knew that he was likely going to regret it, but Gaara just looked so forlorn.

"Well you could always marry him. Such unions are legal in our village. While the legality of your union wouldn't be recognized everywhere, word would spread like wildfire. That would probably stop most people from flirting with him." He offers.

Gaara blinks. That was brilliant. Why didn't he think of that before?! He loved Sasuke. Sasuke loved him. Marriages to someone of the same sex were legal in the Sand. Perhaps after Jada was taken care of, they could get married.

"Thank you, Kankuro. I know that you don't particularly like Sasuke. I appreciate your being a voice of reason, despite that. I also know that you are worried that he's going to sire an army of Mini Uchihas. I promise that I'll keep them in line though." The Kazekage says.

"You're welcome. Oh and that's easier said than done. You say that now, but I'm telling you that those kids are going to be really scary." Kankuro warns him.

"If I can manage an entire village, I can handle a few children." Gaara assures him with a smile.


	18. Chapter 18

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 18

A few days later, Sasuke had determined two things. The first was that it was extremely likely that Jada was somehow responsible for Kiara's "disappearance" and essentially treated his grandchildren like pawns on a chess board. The second was that Keita was relatively innocent.

His only fault seemed to be that he allowed his grandfather to control him. The raven haired man wasn't entirely certain how much of Keita's affection towards him was genuine and how much was an act. He suspected that at least part of it was sincere though.

"So he's always been like that? Jada's always bossed you and Akemi around?" Sasuke asks as they walk around the village.

"Yeah. He's a Council Member though. So he kinda gets paid to be bossy. It's to be expected really." Keita says.

"To a certain extent, yes. He seems to take it too far though." Sasuke says.

Keita sighs and nods. He couldn't really argue with Sasuke about that much. Jada was a man who was used to unquestioning obedience from everyone he interacted with. That was probably why he was so eager to undermine the Kazekage.

Gaara didn't treat Jada like a God. The red head treated him with an icy level of politeness, but Keita knew the truth. The two men hated each other and that wasn't a good thing.

"Yeah. He does. What can you do though? He's family. You don't abandon family." The blonde asks.

Sooner or later, one of them was going to act on that hatred. Jada just wanted to be the one to throw the first "punch." It was a smart move really.

He hated that he had become Sasuke's "friend" to trick him. Oh he wasn't going to hurt the last Uchiha, not intentionally. If the seduction worked, he was sure that they would be happy together. That didn't change the fact that their relationship would be built on a foundation of deception.

"I know the feeling. Family can be a complicated topic." Sasuke says with a sigh of his own.

If Sasuke ever found out the truth, he'd be furious. The new Sand Villager would likely launch into a vicious rage. That was why, Keita knew that he had to keep his mouth shut.

"Oh damn! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories." Keita says in a rush.

"It's alright. You didn't do it on purpose. You didn't do anything wrong. Don't worry about it." Sasuke assures him.

"Alright. I'm still sorry though." He whispers.

Sasuke smiles. Keita was a good guy. It wasn't his fault that he had a jerk for a grandfather. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure that Gaara would see things from the same perspective as him when it came to the blonde.

"I know." Sasuke says with another smile.

Naruto shakes his head and pulls Gaara back into an ally. His friend was jealous. Really jealous and Sasuke was just talking to the guy.

"You know that he has to do this for the plan to work." Naruto says.

"I know that! That doesn't mean that I have to like it though." Gaara retorts as he glares at Keita's retreating form.

The Leaf Ninja couldn't help but wonder if Sasuke was just as jealous a person as Gaara. Probably. Sasuke was a very passionate person.

A passionate person who had been known to let his temper get the better of him. Why should jealousy be any different? God help them all. The lovers would likely destroy the entire village if someone even looked at their most precious person the wrong way.

"Yeah. That's true. Try not to Sand Coffin the guy though." Naruto tells him.

"I'm trying. It's difficult though. Very difficult." The red head answers honestly.

"Did you want to Sand Coffin me when Sasuke, you know?" The blue eyed ninja asks warily.

Gaara frowns. He hadn't wanted to kill Naruto. Naruto was his best friend. The Kazekage couldn't imagine wanting him dead. He couldn't lie though. He had been jealous.

"My jealousy of you was far different than my jealousy of Keita. You didn't even realize that he had feelings for you. You weren't trying to become his lover. That's an important distinction." He says.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. Looks like Sasuke is getting ready to ditch him. Let's go back to your place and see what we got." Naruto says as he teleports off with the Kazekage.

Sasuke flames into Gaara's office about ten minutes later. He smiles when he sees his best friend and his favorite red head. That was better. At least now, he didn't have to act. He could be himself around the two of them.

"His grandfather is bossy. I think Keita is as much a victim as anything, really." Sasuke says.

"Maybe. I suppose that's certainly possible. Jada has always been an extremely manipulative man and Keita isn't exactly the sharpest kunai in the box." Gaara mutters.

Sasuke shakes his head and walks over to Gaara. He quickly kisses him. It was cute that he was jealous, but he also didn't want the Kazekage to start strangling people to death with his sand.

"That's true. He's a nice guy, but he's not you. He's a bit simple, but Keita's no murderer." Sasuke says.

He'd deal with Gaara's jealousy later. Right now, they had to nail Jada. That took priority.

"Well good to know. Let's take a look at the footage." Naruto says merrily.

Sasuke and Gaara nod in agreement. Both of them were eager to catch Jada and to wash their hands of the whole affair. That and the Council Member was obviously dangerous. The sooner they dealt with him, the better.

 _"It's a shame that Sasuke didn't show any interest in Akemi. I think we all know why now though." Jada said._

 _The beautiful female ninja sulked, after Jada said that. Clearly, she wasn't happy about not being successful in her "mission." Wisely, she chose to be quiet._

 _"Sasuke prefers men. There was nothing that Akemi could do about that." Keita said._

 _It was obvious that he wanted to defend his sister. The young blonde twitched and clenched his fists. Jada either didn't notice or didn't care._

 _"That's true. You seem to be getting closer to him though. I am proud of you, Keita. I believe that you may be successful at your mission." Jada replied._

 _The younger man nodded. A grimace could be seen on his face. Keita didn't appear to be that happy about his potential success._

 _"Possibly." He told his grandfather._

 _"And not a moment too soon. I have had Kiara's body disposed of. The Kazekage is certainly suspicious though. I could see what was going to happen. That woman was far too soft. She was a danger to our village. It had to be done." Jada said._

 _His grandchildren paled a bit, but said nothing. Perhaps they were too afraid to object Jada's reasoning. After all, he had ordered the death of someone else that he thought was a threat. Maybe, they believed that they would be next._

"I think that we have our proof." Sasuke said.

"As far as I can tell, Keita and Akemi were innocent in the actual murder. They did try to seduce you, but that isn't a crime." Gaara sighs.

"And they weren't successful. So what are we going to do about Jada?" Sasuke asks.

Gaara frowns. This had to be handled delicately. Jada was a Council Member. He wasn't beloved in the village, but he had a lot of power. He could take a lot of people down with him.

He was their village's Danzo. Jada had kept power because he was ruthless and cunning. The man probably knew more about the inner workings of the Sand Village than Gaara did.

"We could have a public trial, but that would just give him time to take down more people with him. The man might not be that strong physically anymore, but he's got decades' worth of dirty laundry about this village." Gaara says.

Naruto feels his blood run cold. He knew where Gaara was going with this and he didn't like it. The red head wanted an assassination.

"You can't be serious! He should have a trial! Jada is evil, but we aren't!" The blonde protests.

"Naruto, life isn't a fairytale. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty." Sasuke snaps at him.

Naruto shakes his head. He wouldn't allow it. He wasn't going to let Jada's death be on his friends' conscience. He had to do something and do it quickly.

"What if I invited him to the Leaf under the guise of establishing closer relationships between the two villages? He'd go willingly. Jada would never suspect that I was taking him to a trial. Then I can unveil the tape and no one can dispute the evidence." The Leaf Ninja reasons.

Gaara and Sasuke look at each other uncertainly. Naruto could tell that they were debating about whether or not to go with his proposed plan.. After a few tense minutes, they nod their heads.

"I still think that an assassination would be better, but you're right. We aren't him. We do have some morals." He says.

"You're right. We should give him a trial. He doesn't deserve one, but it is the right thing to do. It's the stupid thing to do, but it's also the right thing to do. That's probably why you proposed it." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Naruto grumbles and glares at Sasuke. Only his best friend could give a compliment, packaged as an insult. Really, it was one of his gifts.

"You are such a bastard." He growls.

"Perhaps, but he's my bastard." Gaara says and Sasuke smiles in response.

The blonde just shakes his head. He still didn't get the how or why, but his two best friends were definitely in love with each other. He never thought that he'd actually see Sasuke SMILE about something.

He was smiling. It wasn't a smirk. Sasuke was really smilingly. Naruto felt a bit like he had unknowingly fallen into an alternate universe or something. Sasuke Uchiha didn't smile. Like ever.

"Um yeah. I guess so. Anyway, I'm going to go talk to Jada. I'll get everything set up. Don't worry. We got this! Believe it!" The blonde says excitedly as he takes off.

"I can't believe that he actually still says that." Sasuke mutters as he shakes his head in amusement.

"Neither can I, but Naruto is Naruto." Gaara says sagely.

Sasuke nods in agreement. That really said it all. There would never be another person like Naruto Uzumaki. He was certainly one of a kind.

Later that day, Gaara smiles as he lays out a blanket on the desert sand and starts a fire. He quickly checks to make sure all the food and drinks were there. Deciding that it was acceptable, he teleports off to find his favorite Uchiha.

"So how long is Naruto going to be here?" Ayume asks Sasuke outside of the hospital.

The two medics had just finished their shift. They often walked home together. Gaara smiles when he sees them. It was good that Sasuke had made a friend.

"I don't think he'll be here much longer. I think that things are getting better. We had a fight, but things are getting better now." Sasuke says with a smile.

"That's good. Well it looks like Lord Gaara wants to speak with you. I'll see you tomorrow." She tells Sasuke as she discreetly excuses herself, after bowing her head respectfully at the Kazekage.

Sasuke waves to Ayume as she heads off. That's when he walks over to Gaara. Hmm. That was weird. Usually, Gaara was in his office by now.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey. I want to show you something. I'll flicker us there." Gaara says as he extends his hand.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asks as he takes Gaara's hand.

"It's a surprise. One that I think that you will like." The Kazekage answers vaguely.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at the cryptic response, but allows he Kazekage to teleport him off. The last Uchiha wouldn't have allowed anyone else to do so. He would have demanded answers, but Gaara was different.

He loved Gaara. Sasuke actually trusted him. That was something that he could only say about a handful of people in this world (and one butterfly.) That meant something to him.

"We're in the middle of the desert." Sasuke observes, a few seconds later.

"Yes. Don't you recognize this place? It's where you participated in the Binding Ceremony." Gaara inquires.

Sasuke blinks as he looks around. Gaara was right. This was where the Binding Ceremony had happened.

"I recognize it, now that you mention it. Why are we here though?" He asks uncertainly.

"I thought that it would be fitting. This was where you truly agreed to become a Sand Villager. This was where you left your life in the Leaf behind you and started over. In a way, it was the first real step towards us becoming lovers. That and it's rather private. The stars and moon are also beautiful out here." He says.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. Gaara had several good points there. He just didn't think for a moment that was the only reason why the red head had brought him all the way out here.

"True." He says skeptically and he sits down on the blanket, next to Gaara.

"I know that we haven't been together that long, but I have loved you since I was twelve. Granted back then, it wasn't a very healthy love. It was still real though." Gaara says.

"That's morbidly romantic." Sasuke says with a smirk as he kisses Gaara's cheek.

"I want us to become official. I know that such unions are not accepted everywhere, but that doesn't bother me. I had this made for you. I formed the diamond myself but had a jeweler make the actual piece." He says as he hands Sasuke something.

Sasuke blinks as he takes the object that Gaara was offering him. He looks down curiously. It was a ring.

The ring had a silver band and a large diamond that was cut into the shape of a heart. There was no mistaking it for anything, but what it was. A wedding ring.

"It's beautiful, Gaara. Are you…proposing?" He asks.

"I am. I love you and I would like for everyone to know that." He says.

"I love you too. Once this is all settled, I would love to marry you." Sasuke says as he kisses Gaara.

Gaara smiles and returns the kiss. That was better. He had felt like a colony of Itachis had been fluttering around in his stomach all day.

He knew that Sasuke loved him. That was different than agreeing to marrying him though. The Kazekage had been worried that the last Uchiha would think they were going to fast or worse, that he might bulk.

"Good. I'll just add that to the long list of reasons that I want Jada dead." Gaara replies.

"And a morbid sense of humor." Sasuke says with a laugh.

Elsewhere, Naruto goes and finds Jada. He knew that this had to be done quickly. If they drug it out, he'd get suspicious.

"Hey, so I was talking to Gaara. He thinks that it would be a good idea, if more Sand Villagers visited the Leaf. He really thinks that it'd be a great, if Council Members in particular, came. What do you think? Would you be up for that?" The blonde asks innocently.

Jada blinks. He knew that Gaara was slowly trying to drag the Sand out of its isolation but this was further than he had expected. The red head actually wanted to send Council Members to another village?

As much as he despised Gaara, Jada knew a golden opportunity when he saw one. This was most certainly that. It would give him even more time to gain Naruto's trust. That could only be an asset.

"I would love to go and see your village. I have heard tales of the Leaf's beauty. Is it true that it has trees surrounding it, as far as the eye can see?" He inquires.

"Oh yeah. There's a reason that it's called the Leaf Village. You gotta give Madara that much. He definitely named it well." Naruto says with a grin.

Once again, Jada was reminded that he wasn't dealing with an ordinary ninja. This man had fought Madara Uchiha and lived to tell the tale. Naruto Uzumaki would make quite the powerful ally. He was certain of that much.

"Yes, one can't argue with the accuracy of the name. What was it like?" He asks.

Naruto tilts his head to the side curiously. He honestly didn't know what Jada was asking. The old man could have been inquiring about anything really. That was far too vague.

"What was what like?" The blue eyed ninja replies.

"Fighting Madara Uchiha. What was it like fighting him?" Jada clarifies.

"Oh. Well it was crazy. He was super strong. Like almost inhumanly so. Obviously, we managed though. We had something that he didn't." Naruto says proudly.

Now it was Jada's turn to be confused. They had something that Madara didn't? What could that possibly be? Maybe that was a reference to the Tailed Beasts?

"And what was it that you had, that Madara didn't?" He dares himself to ask.

"We had something worth fighting for." The blonde states confidently.

Ah. That was it. No doubt the other man believed that it was the power of friendship or something else equally childish, that had saved the day. Children could be so amusing sometimes.

"Of course. That makes perfect sense. When would I be going to your village?" Jada asks.

"As soon as possible. So why don't you go pack and I'll make the final arrangements with Gaara?" He suggests.

Jada nods and heads off. Oh this was going to be wonderful. He never could have imagined that such a sublime opportunity would just land itself right in his lap, but he was going to take full advantage of it.

"Well that was easier than expected." Naruto says.

Meanwhile Temari and Kankuro were having dinner together. The puppet master, figured that it was only right to warn Temari. He had to warn her about what was likely going to happen.

"So Gaara was really jealous about Keita. It's obvious that he really does care about Sasuke. I don't like it, but that much is clear." He says with a sigh.

Temari nods in agreement. She smile and sips her tea. She was glad that Kankuro was slowly coming around.

"What happened?" She inquires.

"I suggested that Gaara should just propose to Sasuke. They're already lovers anyway and it might soothe his jealousy. We can't really have a jealous Gaara running around. He might start destroying stuff." Her brother answers.

The feisty blonde couldn't believe her ears. Kankuro had told Gaara to propose to Sasuke?! Had the world turned on its axis or something. That didn't make any sense.

"You told Gaara to ask Sasuke to marry him?" She whispers in a stunned voice.

"Yeah. I did. I don't like it, but clearly that's where all this happens. That and the Uchiha has been on shockingly good behavior since coming here. Maybe, he really has turned over a new leaf. I can only hope that is the case. For Gaara's sake." Kankuro says as he begins eating.

Temari couldn't argue with that logic. Their younger brother was head over heels for the Uchiha. Surprisingly, the feeling seemed mutual. That was certainly something that she hadn't expected.

"I really think that he's changed." Temari says.

"I hope so. God help us all. They are probably going to have an army of Mini Uchihas." He groans.

"Well just because they are getting married, doesn't mean that they'll have children right away. Plus you have to consider the fact that Gaara might not want children." Temari says.

Kankuro shakes his head. He knew the truth. There were really very few things that his brother wouldn't do for his lover, as far as he could tell.

"If I can run a village, I can handle a few children." Kankuro says.

That caused his eyes to widen in realization. Kankuro hadn't said that. Gaara must have said that.

"Did he really say that? You asked him about whether or not he wanted to be a father?" She demands.

"I might have referenced the possibility of children at some point. That was Gaara's response. They'll have kids. Probably use surrogates. They're both men. Their options are rather limited." The puppet master says.

Temari sighs. Her brother could be rather stubborn sometimes. She was going to have to set him straight.

"I don't think that will matter to Gaara. He loves Sasuke. He'll love any children sired by surrogates as if they were his own. I'm just having a very hard time imagining them pushing a stroller down the street or something." She says with a giggle.

Kankuro tilts his head to the side as he tries to picture that scene. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't imagine Gaara and Sasuke pushing a baby stroller, but apparently it was going to happen.

"That's a sight that is going to take some getting used to. A lot of getting used to." He says with a sigh.

"Oh don't sound so forlorn. Think of it this way, you're going to be an uncle." She says brightly.

"I guess that's one way to look at it. Do you really think that Gaara is ready to be a father though? What about Sasuke? The Uchiha doesn't exactly do good with fragile things." He points out.

The feisty blonde bites her lower lip, as she considers her response. She knew that her next response was important. Very important.

"I think that they're both capable of almost anything. That and think of it this way, the Sand is going to have an army of Mini Uchihas to protect us soon. What could possibly go wrong?" She asks with a laugh.

"Everything?" Kankuro asks.


	19. Chapter 19

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I see that a Colony of Itachis is a popular description, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 19

Two weeks later and everything was in motion. Soon enough, the trial would start and Jada was still completely clueless. In the meantime, Sasuke and Gaara had decided to go for a walk around the Leaf Village.

"You don't like being here." Gaara says.

It was a statement. Not a question. Sasuke knew as much, but he also knew that he was expected to respond.

"You're right. I don't. Too many bad memories. The Sand is my home now. It doesn't matter that I still have to apply a gallon of suntan lotion to my skin every day before I go out. I'd rather face the harsh Desert Sun than these people. These memories." Sasuke whispers under his breath.

Gaara sighs as he laces his fingers with Sasuke's. He hated to see his lover in distress. Sasuke might be good at hiding his distress, but that didn't matter to the Kazekage.

"We'll be home soon. Naruto was right. We should give Jada a trial. Not because he deserves one, but because we are better than him." The red head replies.

"Admit it. You still agree with me. It would have been a lot easier just to assassinate him." The Uchiha says with a smirk.

The Kazekage chuckles. That was Sasuke for you. He certainly didn't beat around the bush.

"I'll admit that the idea certainly still has its appeal. It would be wrong though." Gaara says with mock somberness.

"You mean like it would be wrong for us to have sex in your office, when you are supposed to be doing paperwork?" Sasuke replies with a smirk as he walks side by side with his lover.

The Kazekage smiles and looks down at Sasuke's hand. He was wearing his ring. The Uchiha apparently didn't have any issue with them "declaring" their engagement in public.

Fortunately, Jada was too busy taking in the sights to realize that Sasuke was in the village. So the pair of lovers felt reasonably safe in displaying their rings. Gaara couldn't wait for the Councilman to be dead.

"Something like that." He admits dryly.

"That's just one of the many reasons why I love you." Sasuke says with a smile.

He didn't know what he would do without Gaara. Sasuke wasn't entirely certain that he would have been able to handle being in the Leaf again, without his fiancé. The red head was his anchor and kept him from drifting back into the Sea of Madness.

"What are the other reasons?" The young Kage inquires curiously.

"Now, you are just fishing for compliments." The raven haired ninja snorts in amusement.

"Perhaps. Who can blame me though? It's not often that one gets lavished with praise from someone such as yourself." The Sand Ninja retorts.

Sasuke smiles. If one listened to Gaara, they would think that he walked on water. Well sometimes he did. Ninja training could be useful, but it was still the principle of the thing.

"I feel the same way about you. Do you really think that Naruto can pull this off?" He asks.

"It's Naruto. There is very little that ninja can't do. Well besides you. That's my job." Gaara says smugly and Sasuke rolls his eyes in exasperation.

"Mostly accurate. Though sometimes it's the other way around." Sasuke replies with a smirk.

That's when the Emergency Announcement System blared. For just a few seconds, the last Uchiha forgot how to breathe. It was finally happening.

"ATTENTION! A MURDER TRIAL IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE AND IT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! THAT IS ALL!" Naruto's voice booms throughout the village.

Sasuke blinks. He had gone half deaf from the enthusiastic announcement, but he couldn't argue with the results. Soon enough, hundreds of villagers begin making their way to Village Square.

"He's not very subtle, is he?" Gaara asks in amusement.

"No. Not in the slightest." The raven haired ninja agrees.

Meanwhile Jada struggles against his restraints. This couldn't be happening. One minute, he was enjoying some afternoon tea. The next thing he knew, he was being carted away in cuffs.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" He demands as the ANBU drag him towards the Village Square.

"Jada, you are now on trial for the murder of Kiara. If you like, the Leaf will provide someone to represent you in your defense or you may present your defense yourself. Either way, I would stop resisting arrest." A Cat ANBU informs him.

Jada feels his blood boil with rage. This had all been a trick. Naruto had tricked him into coming to the Leaf Village. In the Sand Village, his influence was almost without limit. That wasn't the case in the Fire Nation though.

"That demon set me up!" Jada snarls as he realizes the reality of his situation.

"That demon is the savior of our world. You should treat him with more respect!" Another ANBU shouts at him as he drags Jada off to his trial.

An hour later and the trial begins. Naruto smiles as he walks over towards Jada. Gaara and Sasuke were already standing by the accused.

"Thank you, everyone for coming. It's always good to know the Leaf and Sand Villages will rally behind each other in troubling times!" He says brightly.

Sasuke shakes his head. Sometimes he wondered what was in that ramen that Naruto loved so much. It was like he was powered by raw optimism or something.

There were murmurs of agreement. As much as Sasuke sometimes detested sugary cheerfulness, it could prove effective. People loved to believe in a fairytale and that was something that Naruto was always happy to provide them with.

"This man is Jada. He is a Councilman in the Sand Village. We have reason to suspect that he murdered another member of our Council." Gaara explains.

He preferred Gaara's approach though. The red head definitely got straight down to business. Oh he loved using flowery prose at times, but Gaara would never be the type of man who loved to put on a show for the crowds.

He did it because he had to. The red head didn't seek out the spotlight. He was more than content to relegate that role to Naruto.

"What makes you believe that?" Kakashi asks.

That was certainly a rather serious accusation to make. Accusing another village's councilmember of murder wasn't something that should be done lightly. Surely, Naruto had proof.

"The video tape of him saying as much was rather convincing." Sasuke says and that caused several stunned gasps to be heard from the large audience.

"QUIET! QUIET! I WILL HAVE ORDER IN MY COURT!" The judge bellows out.

Sakura blinks as he looks up at Sasuke, Naruto, Gaara, and the councilmember. They had a tape? How had they managed that?

"Of course, the accused has the right to represent himself or to have someone argue on his behalf." Naruto says.

"I will defend myself! This entire thing was a setup! You lured me out here! You knew that I didn't have any real power in the Leaf and that's why you wanted to get me out of the Sand. This is an outrage! This is an act of war!" Jada snarls at the blonde.

Gaara's eyes narrow. That was true, but Naruto had a damn good reason to be sneaky. This was better than trying him in the Sand Village.

"You really shouldn't speak to the man who saved your life and all of our lives in such a disrespectful fashion. You aren't fit to shine his sandals!" The red head seethes at him.

Jada tries unsuccessfully suppress a shiver. That voice was terrifying. It reminded him of the days when the Kazekage still was controlled by the One Tail Demon.

"Be that as it may, this was a setup! Anyone with a sense of fairness will see that. I will represent myself! I can hardly trust anyone in this village to defend me!" The elderly man states.

"How dare you question the honor of my village?!" Naruto growls at him.

"I'm not questioning your village's honor. I just know that these people are blindly loyal to you. They are rightfully grateful to you. You saved the world. There's almost nothing that they wouldn't do for you. That includes framing me! An innocent man!" Jada insists.

Sasuke twitches. He was tempted to strike Jada. The man deserved it! How dare he question Naruto's character?!

While he didn't have much loyalty to the Leaf Village anymore, Naruto was practically a Saint. As Gaara said, the Councilman wasn't fit to shine the blonde's sandals. He was about to learn that lesson the hard way, it seemed.

The responses to that were deafening. They all blurred together, until Sasuke couldn't decipher how many were in Naruto's favor and how many were in Jada's. He supposed that it didn't matter.

"I think that once everyone sees the footage, no one will question your guilt. You are a skilled liar, but even you can't deny what is on that video." Sasuke hisses at him.

Jada's blood runs cold. There were many things that he could say about Sasuke Uchiha, but the man didn't have a habit of making idle threats. There was a good chance, that somehow the three of them had obtained proof.

"I think that you are bluffing. Even if you aren't, video can be altered. Everyone knows that!" He replies defensively.

"I guess we shall see about that." Sasuke states as he pushes the tape into the slot and the video begins to play on a giant screen.

It was a screen that was designed to show a movie. Really, it was similar to the one that he, Sakura, and Naruto had once watched. Back when Naruto had that crush on the Snow Princess. Sasuke couldn't remember her name for the life of him.

Not that it mattered. What mattered is that everyone would be able to see the truth. No one would be able to question Jada's guilt and Kiara would avenged.

 _"And not a moment too soon. I have had Kiara's body disposed of. The Kazekage is certainly suspicious though. I could see what was going to happen. That woman was far too soft. She was a danger to our village. It had to be done." Jada said as the video played._

Sasuke had requested that they only show that part of the tape. He wasn't that fond of Akemi, but he didn't want to throw her in jail. That and Keita was relatively innocent in this whole ordeal. There was no reason to punish him.

Gaara hadn't been too happy about that request. Sasuke had won him over though. He'd indulged the red head and allowed him to get rather creative with his sandcuffs again. After that, the Kazekage had been much more receptive to his request.

"Oh my God!" Hinata and Sakura cry out in shock.

The two women couldn't believe it. A Councilmember had ordered the assassination of another one. That was practically unthinkable. Generally, members of the various Councils had an unshakable bond.

"Well. Do you have anything to say in your defense now?" Sasuke asks Jada cockily.

"YOU'RE ALL DEMONS! ALL THREE OF YOU!" Jada screams in fury as he tries to lunge at three of the most ninjas in the world.

Gaara's sand easily blocks him. It also smacks him hard against the ground. Jada was knocked unconscious almost instantly.

"It was a suicide rush." He murmurs.

"GUILTY!" The judge says as he bangs his gavel, after seeing the suicide rush.

Those were certainly not the actions of an innocent man. That and he could hardly dispute the evidence that was laid out so clearly on the tape. Neither could the crowd, judging byte their stunned silence.

Sasuke could only nod in agreement. The elderly man knew that he had no chance against any of them individually, let alone collectively. He had wanted to go out on his own terms, but that wasn't going to be allowed.

"What's your sentence?" Naruto asks the judge.

"I sentence him to death. There can be no other sentence for ordering the assassination of a Councilmember." The Leaf Villager replies.

The Leaf Villagers were now watching in stunned silence. Sasuke couldn't blame them. It wasn't every day that one witnessed a murder trial, especially not with an accused Councilmember. That AND he had been knocked unconscious by a Kage, before being sentenced to death. If that didn't shock you, very few things would.

"We shall take him back to the Sand Village and schedule his execution." Gaara states.

"Why? I mean wouldn't it be easier to do it here?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"He has family in the Sand. While he certainly didn't act like a loving grandfather, his grandchildren should have the right to say goodbye to him." Sasuke mutters in disgust.

As if he agreed with the last human Uchiha, a purple butterfly flutters its wings excitedly. Itachi then proceeds to fly straight to Narto and sits on his nose. Itachi didn't stop there though.

He flutters his wings some more. The sensation tickled the blonde's nose and Naruto suddenly sneezes. Over and over.

Sasuke smirks. It was nice to see Itachi taunt someone other than him and Gaara. Apparently, the butterfly was equal opportunity when it came to meddling.

"That's true." Gaara says as he nods his head in agreement with his handsome lover.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. We should at least give them a chance to say goodbye. I doubt they'll miss the jerk though." The blue eyed ninja says, after he finally stops sneezing.

The last Uchiha nods. He couldn't exactly argue with that. There was a very real possibility that Jada's relatives might be relieved to hear that their tyrannical grandfather was about to leave this life.

At the very least, Sasuke was certain that some part of Keita would be relieved. That was something, right? He might not love the blonde Sand Ninja, but perhaps they could be friends.

"Accurate enough. Let's head home." Gaara says and he smiles at Sasuke as he hands Naruto an envelope before walking off with his fiancé.

Naruto blinks and looks down at the envelope. Curious, he opens it. As he was doing so, Hinata quickly makes her way to his side and she gasps at what she saw.

"What is it?!" Sakura demands, after joining the husband and wife.

"It's a wedding invitation." Naruto says with a smile.

His two best friends were getting married. Damn. That was like something straight out of a fairytale.

"I doubt we'll have to advertise our wedding further." Gaara says a few minutes later as he forms a giant ball of sand for them to travel in.

"Probably not. Naruto has a very big mouth. I figure that everyone will know about our engagement by the end of the week." Sasuke observes.

Gaara snorts in amusement. That was probably closer to the truth than most people might believe. Naruto was indeed rather loud, but the Five Great Nations did love to gossip.

There were few topics more gossip worthy than a Kage getting married. Well except when that Kage was marrying a former S Class Criminal. That might do it.

"I don't mind him sharing our "secret" in this case. I want everyone to know that we are getting married." Gaara informs him and Sasuke smiles.

"You're very romantic, when you want to be." Sasuke tells him.

"What no morbid this time?" The red head asks as he raises an eyebrow in amusement.

That's when Itachi slips into the sandball and joins them. The butterfly lands on top of Gaara's head and flits around excitedly. Sasuke rolls his eyes playfully.

"I think that Itachi is laughing at your joke, but you're right. No morbidly this time. Just romantic." Sasuke assures him.

A few days later, they arrive back in the Sand. Sasuke and Gaara quickly take Jada to the prison and lock him up. At that point, Gaara begins to converse with one of the guards.

"Someone please inform Keita and Akemi that their grandfather is being held prisoner. He has been sentence to death for murder. They are free to visit him at their leisure." The red head informs the guard.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage!" The guard says as he takes off to carry out Gaara's orders.

"At their leisure?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.

Gaara tilts his head to the side curiously. He didn't understand what his lover thought was so odd about his word choice. It was accurate, wasn't it?

"Well yes. I meant that they can come and visit him whenever they desire to do so." He clarifies.

"Oh I got that part. I just think that it's kinda funny. Leisure implies that they are going on vacation or something." The Uchiha says with a shrug.

"My dear Aoi, you're mind works in very strange ways sometimes." Gaara observes with no small amount of amusement.

Sasuke gapes at Gaara. Oh not that again! He wasn't Aoi! Damn. His red head could be really stubborn sometimes.

"I'm still not Aoi!" He grumbles.

"I beg to differ. You look rather nice chained up. You protest too much." Gaara says smugly and with that he teleports off.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to follow him. He reappears in their bedroom in a swirl of flames. Gaara privately had to admit that Sasuke was certainly rather good at dramatic entrances and exits. He wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but the effect was still visually stunning.

"Are you going to pretend to be angry with me for stating the obvious?" Gaara inquires.

"I'm not angry with you and you didn't state the obvious." Sasuke says as he playfully pins his Kage to the bed.

"It's very obvious, but I'm glad that you aren't angry with me. We are going to be married soon and I'd rather not start our Honeymoon with an angry Uchiha. That would be most unfortunate." Gaara continues.

Sasuke shakes his head. Gaara could be rather playful in his own _unique_ way sometimes. He was just going to have to show the other man who was in charge.

Truly, the last Uchiha didn't mind the fact that Gaara was Kazekage and he wasn't. It was just important that the red head didn't get any crazy ideas about being the one who wore the sandals in their relationship. No, that simply wouldn't do at all.

"Yes, it would be rather unfortunate. Speaking of our marriage, where did you want to have it?" He asks.

"Hmm. I was thinking that in the center of our village would be best. That way everyone can see. It'd probably be a good idea to have it at night. That way, you're beautiful ivory skin won't turn as red as my hair." Gaara reasons.

"You are such a smartass." Sasuke grumbles.

Gaara smiles. It was strange, but somehow Sasuke was rather cute when he sulked. Of course, he knew better than to actually say that though. He was pushing his luck with the Aoi nickname as it was.

"Perhaps." Gaara concedes as he kisses Sasuke.

Sasuke smiles and returns the kiss. He supposed it wasn't love, if you didn't want to Chidori your partner at least some of the time. Ninjas loved and fought with equal passion.

That was just who they were. He doubted that there were very many ninja couples like Hinata and Naruto. Fairytale romances were just not wired into their DNA that way.

"I love you, but I'm still not Aoi." He says, after breaking the kiss.

"Whatever you say my love. Now should I wear my Kazekage Robes to our wedding or something else?" Gaara inquires.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers his lover's question. Hmm. He hadn't really thought about that yet.

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask Itachi." He suggests with a smirk.

"Indeed that does seem like a fine idea to me." The red head agrees as he gets off of the bed and finds two scrolls.

After finding them, he proceeds to pull out a marker. The Kazekage then rights a single word on each scroll. The butterfly would choose.

On one scroll, the word _**ROBES**_ was written. On the other, the word _**KIMONO**_ was splashed across the page. Itachi flies over and examines the scrolls intensely.

"It's almost as if he's actually thinking about the matter." Gaara notes with amusement.

"You laugh, but that might actually be what's going on. I tell you that it's not a normal butterfly." Sasuke insists.

A few minutes later, the purple insect lands on the kimono scroll. Gaara blinks and looks at Sasuke in surprise. Maybe his lover was actually onto something about the butterfly thing.

"Well it looks like I shall have to find a suitable kimono for our wedding." He muses.

"And so shall I." Sasuke agrees with his favorite red head.

"I imagine that you'll look quite dashing in whatever you choose." Gaara assures him and Sasuke laughs.

It still amazed him. His first love and his new love were so different in so many ways. Despite that, there were key similarities. One of them was that both men could make him laugh.

"I'll try to find something that will exceed whatever fantasies you have concocted inside your head. After all, you are the more romantic one between the two of us." He teases him.

"Naruto was right. You are a bastard, but you're MY bastard." Gaara says with a sly smile.

"Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. He had to be right about something." Sasuke agrees with a smirk.


	20. Chapter 20

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I put a warning up and before a certain scene in this chapter. Gaara has figured out how conceive that army of Mini Uchihas. I do warn you, that his solution may not be everyone's cup of tea. It's not Mpreg. You can still easily skip over that scene, if you wish though. You may also wish to skip the execution scene, if you are particularly squeamish.

Chapter 20

A few days later, Keita and Akemi were visiting Jada. He was currently being held in the Leaf's Prison and awaiting his execution date. Keita and Akemi were visiting their grandfather. They both knew that he was going to be executed later that day and wanted to say their final goodbyes.

"Did you know what they were planning?" Jada hisses at his grandchildren.

"I had no idea, grandfather! I swear that much to you! Why would you even ask that?" Akemi inquires in a horrified voice.

"I find it curious that both of you were in the same room as me and neither of you were put on trial. It's as if the tapes were deliberated edited to show only my sins and not your own!" He seethes.

Akemi takes a few steps backwards. Her grandfather was currently chakra cuffed, but his rage was so great that she didn't want to take any chances. The old man could be quite spry, when he wanted to be.

"Perhaps they didn't think that our trying to seduce Sasuke Uchiha was as serious a crime as murdering a Councilmember." Keita says.

Jada raises an eyebrow. Oh NOW Keita wanted to grow a spine? He found it ironic that his grandson was only showing a backbone, now that his death was imminent.

"In that case, you're very lucky. Though I assume that the Kazekage is aware that you tried to seduce his lover. I have seen that ring on the Uchiha's finger. They are to be wed. I imagine that Gaara will not take kindly to the knowledge that you both tried to steal the Uchiha from him." He says with a cruel smirk.

Keita's eyes narrow. His own grandfather was hopeful that the Kazekage would kill him in a jealous rage. It was written all over his face and suddenly one thing was made painfully clear. Jada had never loved either of them.

Jada had probably never loved anyone, but himself. Keita had always known that his grandfather loved power, but he had deluded himself into thinking that the Councilman cared about his family. On some level, he had wanted to believe that. That was probably why he had been so easily fooled and manipulated all these years.

"If Lord Gaara wanted us dead, we'd already be dead now. I would worry more about how you want to spend your final hours. You aren't beloved in the Sand. You held onto power through murder, manipulation, and cunning. I doubt anyone is going to attend your funeral. Something for you to think about in your final hours." Keita says as he heads towards the door.

Akemi glances between her brother and grandfather uncertainly. Jada was their blood. He might be a dishonorable person, but he was their grandfather. That had to mean something, right?

"I'm sorry that this is the way that things had to end. Your ambition was your undoing. Go in peace, grandfather." She says as she turns to follow her brother.

"DON'T YOU, PATRONIZE ME! YOU TWO NO MORE LOYAL THAN LOCUSTS! BOTH OF YOU HAVE BEEN A PLAGUE UPON ME, SINCE THE DAY YOU SLITHERED OUT OF YOUR MOTHER'S WOMB!" He snarls at them.

His grandchildren didn't stop though. They just kept walking. Neither Keita, nor Akemi even spared him a backward glance as they left him alone.

"We're free of him. He can't hurt us anymore." Keita says to his sister, once they were far away from their doomed grandfather.

"I wouldn't say that. His memory still lives on. I can't believe that he wished death upon us. We always did everything he asked. Our only disloyalty was not getting sentenced to death as well." She whispers.

"I know. It's painful. Now, we shall have the chance to move on though." Her brother says.

Akemi could only nod in agreement. It was the strangest feeling. On one hand, she was relived that their grandfather was going to die. On the other hand, she felt guilty for feeling that way.

"I hear that Kiara's family is going to be arriving soon. They are going to be the ones that will decide how he will die. I suppose that it's only fitting." She states with a heavy sigh.

"Yes, that's their right. I can't imagine that anything good will be engraved on his Memorial Stone." The other Sand Ninja observes.

It was a shame. Their grandfather had been a powerful and bright ninja. He could have lived quite the happy and successful life, but all he desired was power. At the end of the day, he had overreached and now he was going to pay the price. It really was that simple.

"Do you even think that there will be a Memorial Stone at his grave?" Akemi dares herself to ask.

"I imagine so. Lord Gaara doesn't seem spiteful enough to give him an unmarked grave." The blonde observes.

Meanwhile Sasuke, Gaara, Hinata, and Naruto were greeting Kiara's family. The small Clan had traveled all the way from the Sand Village to the Leaf for the occasion. It seemed as though they were having a hard time deciding, how they wanted Jada to die.

"Who was speaking to him on that tape? He wasn't alone!" One asks.

"Some other members of the Council. They reported his crime and pretended to be his allies." Sasuke tells them.

It was a lie, but it was a kind one. Sasuke didn't want Keita and Akemi to be killed because they had an evil man for a grandfather. Their only "crime" was that they had listened to Jada and tried to seduce him.

Sasuke didn't think that was worthy of execution or even jail time. For now, it was better just to lie. It was kinder really. That and he doubted that Kiara would want innocent blood to be spilt in her name. From what Gaara had told him, she had been a kind and gentle woman.

"I see. Well that's good. I'm glad that they reported his vile deeds." Kiara's son says and the others nod in agreement.

"The kindest way to kill him would be to give him a pill that will cause him too fall asleep and his heart will shut down while he slumbers." Hinata suggests.

Kiara's family was clearly feeling less than kind, Gaara muses. Judging by their reaction to Hinata's suggestion, a mercy killing was the last thing on any of their minds. Not that he could blame them.

"There is also the traditional beheading or stabbing through the heart. It's dramatic and quick." Gaara suggests.

The Sand Villagers look at each other and begin debating the Kazekage's suggestion. It was certainly better than Hinata's, but that didn't feel like enough. Jada should suffer more than that.

"How about you each take turns at attacking him? One attack for each year of life Kiara had. At the end, he'll be stabbed in the heart." Sasuke suggests.

"I like it!" One of the Sand Ninjas says gleefully.

Naruto raises an eyebrow. It was disturbing. Really, it was disturbing that Sasuke could so easily think of execution methods.

"Don't give me that look, Naruto. I was just offering a suggestion to help them out. It's not as if the man didn't deserve it." Sasuke replies.

Gaara nods in agreement as he places his hand around Sasuke's waist. He wasn't going to have his best friend lecture his lover on morality. Sometimes, you had to get your hands dirty. That was just part of being a ninja.

"Well it looks like we have agreed on the method of execution. It will take place at sundown." Naruto says with a sigh.

He didn't enjoy sentencing a man to die. Naruto knew that Jada deserved it, but it still didn't sit well with him. Unfortunately, it was the only way to keep the peace.

Sasuke sighs and places a hand on Naruto's shoulder comfortingly. He knew that his friend was hurting. This wasn't something that the other ninja wanted to do. It had to be done though.

"You're doing the right thing." Sasuke whispers and Naruto nods.

"I know. It's just hard. I've never ordered someone's death before. It's different than killing in the heat of battle." The blue eyed ninja says with a sigh.

"I know. You're still doing the right thing though. Come on, Gaara. Let's go get some lunch and perhaps we can do some wedding planning in the meantime." Sasuke says with a smile.

Gaara smirks and nods in agreement. With that, the two lovers quickly took their leave. It didn't take long for them too find a place to eat and order.

"Sasuke, there's something on your plate." Gaara says a few minutes later, once their food had arrived.

Sasuke looks down and blinks. Oh for goodness sake's, this was getting out of hand. It seemed that Itachi was going to follow them, wherever they went. It something of a shock that he hadn't been there when Gaara proposed really.

"It's Itachi. Again." He observes.

Gaara decides to take a closer look and sure enough, Sasuke was proven right. It was indeed a purple butterfly. Maybe Sasuke was right. This wasn't a normal insect.

"This is truly bizarre." He notes with a chuckle.

"It just got even more bizarre." Sasuke says as a blue butterfly flies over and lands on the plate, next to Itachi.

Wonderful. His butterfly brother had a lover. Now THAT was a mouthful. Sasuke just shakes his head in amusement and goes back to eating. Apparently, the butterflies were just going to be part of the family now. He might as well accept it.

"Life can be strange sometimes." Gaara states with no small amount of mirth.

"That it can be. That's alright though. As long as I have you, very little else matters." Sasuke states.

Gaara smiles. He was very happy to hear Sasuke say that. Truthfully though, he wondered if the other man really meant that. Would the last Uchiha be genuinely content, if it was just the two of them and the butterflies?

The red head doubted it. Sasuke wanted to restore his Clan. That was why he had been doing a lot of research. He had Orochimaru's old labs inspected from top to bottom and he was reasonably confident, that he had finally found what he was looking for.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. It doesn't have to be just us though." Gaara tells him.

"Well of course there are the butterflies, Naruto, and your siblings. Though I'm pretty sure that Kankuro doesn't like me all that much. I've been getting on slightly better terms with Temari as of late though." The raven haired ninja replies.

"That's not exactly what I meant. I love you and I want you to be happy. I know that you are a very goal-driven individual. You only had two goals. One of them is incomplete." The Kazekage continues.

Sasuke tries his best not to gape at Gaara. He had a pretty good idea what his lover was implying. It was still shocking though. Gaara was being extremely generous. He must be offering to let him use a surrogate.

"That wouldn't be an issue for you? For me to use a surrogate? I can understand, if it is. It's only natural to get jealous in a situation like that." Sasuke says.

Gaara shakes his head. He'd use surrogates, if they had to. He just hoped that it didn't come to that. Sasuke was right. He'd likely get jealous, even if the woman was just a means to an end.

"No. I've been looking into Orochimaru's labs in my spare time. He was in the middle of doing quite a bit of fascinating research, especially as it relates to reproduction." The young Kage says.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side. What was Gaara saying? They were both men. It wasn't possible for them to have a child that belonged to both of them biologically.

"What did you discover?" Sasuke inquires cautiously, not at all certain where the love of his life was going with this.

"There is a way to combine both of our DNA together. It's rather unconventional and I would have to take a leave of absence for perhaps a year. That's alright though. I'm certain that Temari could lead quite capably while we were away." Gaara says.

The last Uchiha was truly at a loss. He didn't understand what Gaara was saying. He wanted to combine their DNA and take a year long vacation? It didn't make any sense.

"Why would you have to leave the Sand in her care and what are you talking about, exactly?" Sasuke demands.

 **Warning Science Ninja Style Scene**

"With some slight modifications, Naruto's Sexy Jutsu can be applied in a more practical manner." Gaara says.

Sasuke gapes at his lover. The red head actually wanted HIM to become a woman and give birth?! Sasuke wasn't sure whether to hug his Gaara or to accuse him of losing his mind. At the moment, he was leaning towards doing both.

"Are you crazy? How do we even know that is safe?" Sasuke asks.

"He did many rounds of testing on it. Our child or children wouldn't be the first using this method. There were many men at the Sound who had bloodlines that Orochimaru found desirable. He didn't see their gender as a valid reason not create "super babies." I don't see our gender as a reason for us not to have children of our own blood. That's assuming you are willing of course. I do not mind carrying them." The Kazekage explains.

Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. Not only had Gaara thoroughly looked into a way for them to conceive a child of their own blood, he was offering to carry that child. He didn't know what to say.

"Are you sure? I'm glad that it's been tested out and proven reasonably safe, but that's a lot to ask of you. Do you really think that you could handle being a woman that long? What about the actual process of childbirth? It's extremely painful, Gaara." Sasuke warns him.

"I don't mind. I want to make you happy and I know that having children of our own will make you happy. That and I'd rather use a surrogate as a last resort. I would have jealous issues." He admits.

"You're willing to become pregnant to make me happy and because you have jealousy issues?" The raven haired ninja asks skeptically and Gaara nods in confirmation.

He had no idea how to respond to any of this. On one hand, it was the most romantic thing that he had ever heard in a very bizarre way. On the other hand, he was worried about Gaara's safety.

 **End of Science Ninja Style Scene**

"I need some time to think about this. I love you Gaara and I want your children, but this is a lot to ask of you." Sasuke says as he caresses his cheek.

"That's fine. We have all the time in the world." The red head assures him and Sasuke just smiles in response.

A few hours later, the Leaf's Village Square was completely full. Everyone wanted to witness the execution. Well everyone with a reasonably strong stomach anyway. (That and most parents had decided to keep their children away, but Sasuke digressed.)

"Jada, you have been convicted for the murder of Kiara. Her family ahs been extended the courtesy of choosing your method of execution." Naruto says. "She was a weak woman! She would have been the death of our village! I issue no apology! I did what had to be done! Just because she was kind, did not make Kiara any less of a threat!" He snarls in defiance.

"We have chosen to strike one blow for every year of her life towards you and at the end, you will be beheaded." Kiara's grandson informs him.

"What?! That is barbaric! Surely, such a thing is illegal under international law!" He protests.

"It isn't. Believe me, I checked. What a drag. None of this head to happen." Shikamaru calls out from the crowd.

Jada feels his blood run cold. They were going to torture him. He had known that he was going to die, but he had expected a quick death. A mercy killing. He had never expected that these fools would be capable of such sadism!

"Do you have any last words?" Gaara asks.

"Damn you all to Hell! I did what had to be done! You are all cowards! Attacking and torturing an old man! What makes you any better than me?!" He demands.

"There's no shame in killing a murderer!" Keita calls out from the crowd.

"How dare you speak at my execution?! You are nothing, but a traitor! You've been a fool all your life and you'll die a fool!" Jada snarls at him.

Keita and Akemi wince at their grandfather's harsh words. They both knew that this had to be done, but it was still hard to watch the old man die. He was their blood, even if he seemed incapable of love and remorse.

"He might die a fool, but that's better than dying alone and a murderer!" Akemi screams at her grandfather.

"Pity! I had always thought that you were the smarter one. Now, I see the truth! You are just as weak as him!" The elderly man growls.

Gaara sighs. He could see that Jada was going to squander his last words. Oh well. If that was the way that he wanted to go out, so be it.

 **Warning Execution Scene**

"I believe that the condemned has said everything that he needs to say. Kiara's family will now commence his execution. For those of you who are sensitive to displays of gore, I suggest you leave now. No one will think ill of you." Gaara assures the crowd kindly.

To Sasuke's surprise, a few people did leave. He vaguely recognized some of them, but that wasn't important. It wasn't anyone that he knew well. Mostly random Leaf Villagers.

"Excellent. We shall now begin." The Kazekage says as gestures for the family to carry out Jada's death sentence.

Sasuke watches curiously. A few minutes later, even he was moderately horrified by their savagery. At first they started small. They aimed for areas that weren't vital spots. That didn't last long though.

Sometimes they punched. Sometimes they kicked. Sometimes they used Jutsus and sometimes they used weapons. The weapons were the worst.

"That's a lot of blood." Naruto whispers in disgust.

Sasuke could only nod in agreement. Blood was pouring out of what had to be a dozen wounds. Some minor and some were potentially life threatening.

Somehow though, Jada was still conscious. His screams could be heard every time they attacked. The man had apparently been willing to die, but not to be tortured.

"You're condoning this?" Sasuke asks Gaara in surprise.

"It was your idea. It's almost over though. Even if they want to drag it out more, I don't think he'll last long. He's lost too much blood." Gaara says.

That's when the family members started slicing off fingers and toes. From there, it didn't' take them long to slash at one of his eyes and to cleavage off an arm. Blood was spilling everywhere.

The fact that the family members had elected to wear white clothes to represent Kiara's innocence, only made it all the more dramatic. Hot, red blood now stained their formerly pristine clothes.

"Oh God! I can't bare to watch!" Akemi says as she buries her face in Keita's shoulder.

"It's alright. It's almost over now." The blonde whispers to his sister in an effort to comfort her.

Sasuke took that as his cue. He decides to put Jada out of his misery and unsheathes his sword. There were loud gasps from the crowd, but that didn't stop him.

That wouldn't stop him from what he had to do. Even he had his limits and they had been reached. With one swing of his sword, Sasuke beheads Jada and ends his suffering.

 **End of Execution Scene**

Gaara watches as Jada's head was cut off from his body and rolls onto the street. It had been perhaps the most brutal death that he had ever seen, but it was over now. Jada was dead.

"ANBU, please retrieve the body and arrange for his remains to be sent to the Sand Village. Oh and clean this up." Naruto says.

The crowd was still watching in stunned silence. No one dared to make a move. The weight of what had just happened was still hung heavily in the air.

Naruto had ordered a man's execution. The man had deserved it, but that didn't change the fact that the blonde had done it. Never again would anyone take him lightly.

Apparently, savior of the Ninja World was willing to do what needed to be done to restore order and justice. It was as if an Angel's Wings had suddenly been soaked in blood. It was an unsettling occurrence to say the least and no one really knew how to react to it.

"Yes, Naruto!" An ANBU says as the team of elite ninjas beings their gruesome task.

"Well that's over. I think that I'm going to go explore one of the clothing shops." Sasuke says.

"Why are you going to explore one of the clothing shops?" Gaara asks in confusion.

At that moment, two butterflies land on Gaara's head. The purple one pokes his forehead and the other lands on his nose. He could swear by all that was holy that the insects were actually giggling at him!

"Well I'll need a kimono for our wedding and I don't really have a suitable one at the moment." Sasuke says with a smirk as he flickers off.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Gaara growls as he tries to follow his lover, only to be stopped by Naruto.

"It's bad luck to see the Bride's Wedding Kimono before the ceremony. Oh and I think that we both know that the bastard is the bride." Naruto says with a wink.

Gaara blinks. Oh yes. His best friend had a death wish. He could only hope that the Leaf Ninja wasn't foolish enough to say such a thing when Sasuke was within earshot or it would bet he end of him.

"I suppose that's true, but don't you dare say that in front of him. If you're going to be that suicidal, I shall respect your wishes. My Aoi would kill you, if he heard you speak of such things." Gaara warns him.

"Who is Aoi?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"Nevermind, Naruto. Let's go get some ramen." The red head suggests and with that, the two friends headed off in search of some savory noodles to eat!


	21. Chapter 21

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the wedding chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This one is going to be framed from many different perspectives. As for the next generation of Uchihas, more details will be revealed. I will try to keep them brief and as "normal" as possible.

Chapter 21

Itachi watches the scene with amusement, a few days later. Sasuke and Gaara were getting married today. He had decided to focus on the only living human Uchiha while the final preparations were underway.

Sasuke was always more interesting to watch. He got flustered or annoyed more easily. Gaara in general, tended to be more composed. Therefore, Itachi had sent Konan to watch the Kazekage.

"I can't believe that you're getting married, bastard!" Naruto exclaims happily.

"Neither can I. Don't do anything stupid. Naruto, go change right now. You aren't wearing an orange kimono to my wedding." Sasuke says in disgust.

Itachi's eyes narrow. Sasuke was absolutely right about that much. Honestly, the blonde must have been colorblind. Who had ever heard of a blonde wearing orange? It was obscene.

He flies over and pokes Naruto's forehead repeatedly. The man should change immediately. Wearing an orange kimono at a wedding was an outrage!

"What the Hell? Bastard, can you believe this? I'm getting attacked by a purple butterfly." Naruto says with a laugh as he tries to swat Itachi away.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Well he raises an eyebrow as much as a butterfly could anyway. Did that ninja just have the unmitigated gall to swat at him?

Oh that wouldn't do at all. He'd have to be taught some respect. He flies back at him and pokes him super hard. Naruto was going to learn the hard way that he wasn't going to be allowed to wear that monstrosity to Sasuke's wedding!

"I think that he wants you to change your kimono too. You look ridiculous." Sasuke says simply.

"Unbelievable. Kakashi, can you believe this? Sasuke is conspiring against me with a butterfly." Naruto whines.

"Stranger things have happened. I happen to believe that the kimono looks fine, but this is Sasuke's wedding. You should humor him." Kakashi says as he flips another page in his book.

Keita shakes his head in amusement and Itachi breathes a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it didn't look as though the second blonde was going to attempt to seduce Sasuke further. Though he privately thought that was because Keita wasn't suicidal.

Red heads could be quite terrifying at times. This was especially true when they were in love. Oh he had heard horror stories about Kushina and a few other red heads that would make your hurl curl.

"You look very handsome." Ayume says with a smile.

"Thank you. A good friend of mine suggested wedding kimonos instead of our ninja uniforms." Sasuke says.

Itachi nods proudly. That's right. He was a good friend. The wedding kimonos looked better than their ninja uniforms anyway.

"That's some cake. Good thing that you are having the wedding outside. I don't think that it could fit anywhere else." Choji muses.

The Rookie Nine had all decided to attend the wedding. Some were with Gaara and some were with Sasuke. Choji happened to be in his "group." Probably because Choji was one of the few members of the Rookie Nine who didn't still hold a major grudge against him.

"Gaara might have gotten a bit carried away, but he is Kazekage. A lot of people were going to attend. Not just from the Sand, but from the Five Great Nations." Sasuke reasons.

"That makes sense. The Sand couldn't afford, not to show off. It's a way of telling the other Ninja Villagers that they are strong and prosperous. If they skimped on the Kazekage's wedding, it wouldn't look good." Shino observes.

"I think that's the most that I've heard him talk." Shikamaru says with a yawn and Shino twitches, but says nothing.

Itachi watches in amusement. This was going to be quite the day. He just knew it. He hoped that Konan was having as much fun as him.

Meanwhile Gaara's procession was making their way through the crowded streets of the Sand Village. The Kazekage was wearing a pure white wedding kimono that seemed to almost shimmer underneath the moonlight.

The stares were bright and the crescent silver of a Moon light up the night well enough. That and there were dozens of bonfires and likely thousands of colorful lanterns illuminating Gaara's path towards the alter.

"It really is beautiful." He whispers to himself.

There were drumbeats in the background. Much like the Binding Ceremony, it was all rather primal. Though this time, the music had a more _erotic_ than hypnotic quality to it.

There were desert flowers thrown everywhere. Gaara did note with more than a trace of amusement, that some of the other flowers were definitely from the Leaf. It seemed that Ino's family was rather eager to assist the Sand with the wedding. (Apparently, they owned a flower shop.)

"Yeah. They kinda went overboard on the flowers, but it's the thought that counts." Kankuro says.

Naruto was Sasuke's Best Man and Kankuro's was his. They had both wanted Naruto to be their Best Man, but in the end Gaara had caved. Kankuro was his brother and he loved him. They would both be well supported in this endeavor.

"Indeed. Though I doubt Sasuke really cares all that much about flowers." The red head admits.

It had surprised him greatly when Sasuke asked if Aoda could be the ring barer. Now, Gaara could see why. He smirks as he saw everyone's reaction to the giant serpent slithering down the middle of the Sand's Streets.

"Hello!" Aoda calls out cheerfully to everyone and the ninjas and civilians alike, just gape at the friendly reptile.

"I'm telling you that Sasuke is crazy. Who invites a snake to their wedding?" Kankuro whispers to Gaara.

"Someone with a sense of humor. Besides, Aoda is his summon. It's not as if he scooped up a random rattlesnake and brought them." Gaara chides his brother gently.

Kankuro still wasn't really entirely sure that having an enormous snake slithering around at their wedding was a good idea. He wasn't going to argue the matter further though. It was Gaara's special day. Not his.

Unbeknownst to the wedding party, Konan was flittering around and watching the grand scene. Itachi must be so excited about the wedding. His foolish little brother was finally getting married.

"Though I doubt that Itachi expected that Sasuke would be marrying another man, originally." She observes with a quiet giggle.

The two of them had been reincarnated into butterflies. When they found each other, they had decided to stay together. She was growing quite fond of the elder Uchiha really.

"Look mommy! A butterfly!" Someone calls out.

Konan smiles and flies over to the small child. They were sweet and adorable. How could she possibly resist their warm smile?

It didn't take long for stunned gasps to be heard from the crowd. Gaara smiles at the alter. He knew why. Sasuke might not be the actual "Bride," but he was definitely just as beautiful as one.

That midnight blue silken kimono flattered his ivory skin and dark tresses rather nicely. There was something very graceful and proud about the way that he walked towards Gaara with Naruto at his side. (Sasuke was carrying a bouquet of red roses as well, though he didn't look particularly pleased about that fact.)

"It looks like they're finally moving." Itachi says a few minutes later, after he reaches Konan.

"It appears that way. It really is such a beautiful ceremony." The blue butterfly replies.

Once Sasuke finally reaches the alter, he takes Gaara's hands. There were still many in the audience who were stunned that two men could love each other in such a way at all. None of them were foolish enough to voice this bewilderment though.

Gaara was the Kazekage and had the Ultimate Defense. Sasuke had a Rinnegan and a Sharingan, in addition to all his other formidable skills. Only someone who was suicidal, would dare to question their relationship.

"You look beautiful." Gaara whispers.

"A man still can't be beautiful, but thank you." Sasuke replies with a smile.

"Yes, you can. It looks like Itachi and his lady have decided to attend our ceremony as well." The red head murmurs into Sasuke's ear.

Anyone else would have thought that the couple was merely whispering sweet nothings. Sasuke blinks when he hears the news. He had expected Itachi to be there, but not the blue butterfly.

"Perhaps were aren't the only ones getting married today." Sasuke notes with a sly smile.

"Perhaps not." Gaara agrees and it was at that point that Kakashi clears his throat.

Sasuke knew that he was likely going to regret this, but he had decided to let Kakashi perform the ceremony. After all, he was the one who was responsible for their engagement to begin with. Without Kakashi's "little push," it was unlikely that either of them would have made a move.

For that, the last human Uchiha would forever be grateful. He just hoped that the CopyCat Ninja didn't make him regret this decision. Hopefully, the silver haired ninja would perform the ceremony in a dignified fashion.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Gaara Sabaku and Sasuke Uchiha. If anyone has any reason to object to this match, speak now or forever hold your peace. Though I must warn you, I taught Sasuke the Chidori myself and such a protest would likely result in severe injury or even your death. That or Gaara could just Sand Coffin you." He begins cheerfully.

Most of the audience laughs at the ninja's warning. Some were amused laughs and others were nervous laughs. Though Sasuke notes there were more than a few members of the audience that looked less than pleased about their impending marriage, none were stupid enough to actually protest.

"Wonderful. It looks as though there are no protests. Do you Gaara Sabaku, take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish? Do you pledge to stand by his side in sickness and in health? In good times and bad times and to help him restore his Clan? Until death do you part?" Kakashi asks cheerfully.

Sasuke gives the silver haired ninja a dirty look at that last part. The last thing that they needed was to cause a panic. Now people knew that they were planning a family or at the very least, Kakashi was encouraging them to do so.

"I do. Forever and always." Gaara says with a smile, choosing to ignore the chaos that the older ninja had just sparked.

"Excellent. It looks as though there are no protests. Do you Sasuke Uchiha, take Gaara Sabaku to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish? Do you pledge to stand by his side in sickness and in health? In good times and bad times and to help him rule the Sand? Until death do you part?" The CopyCat Ninja asks.

"I do. For always and forever." Sasuke replies.

Kakashi beams. It was so nice to know that his most wayward student had finally found happiness at last. Honestly, the man should be more grateful for erotic literature. Clearly, that was what had brought them together.

"Then by the power invested in me by the Leaf and Sand Villages, I pronounce thee husband and…well husband. You may kiss the bride!" The silver haired man exclaims joyously.

That was when the entire atmosphere dropped by twenty degrees. Sasuke was giving Kakashi a Death Glare so icy, that it could have frozen Mei's Lava Release. It was that murderous.

"KAKASHI!" He snarls at him in a righteous fury.

"Oh whoops! Sorry! Sorry! You may kiss the other Groom?" The Leaf Ninja inquires cautiously as he takes several steps away from a potentially homicidal Uchiha.

Gaara just shakes his head and kisses Sasuuke. He knew that he needed to distract his lover. If he didn't, there was a very good chance that Sasuke would Chidori Kakashi.

That would certainly make for a memorable wedding, but not in the right way. Fortunately, his Aoi eagerly kisses back. Sasuke was a surprisingly affectionate creature, when he wanted to be.

"I love you. Don't kill him. It was a simple slip of the tongue." Gaara whispers.

"I love you too and alright. I guess I'll let him live this time." Sasuke grumbles and the red head nods approvingly.

Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. He hadn't meant to do that, but it had just slipped out. It was a miracle that the Kazekage had been able to calm Sasuke down. The silver haired ninja was well aware that such a minor incident could have escalated quickly.

"Thank you. We should probably throw the bouquets now." Gaara suggests and Sasuke nods in agreement.

They had both decided to throw flowers. It was marginally more masculine than someone having a garter belt. Well at least it was in their minds and that's what mattered, really.

"You can go first." The raven haired Groom says.

Gaara smirks and takes out his bouquet. He blinks when he saw that many women had lined up and were ready to try to catch it. The women looked far too aggressive for his liking.

"Is this even safe?" The Kazekage whispers to his lover.

"I don't know, but you should do it anyway. It is tradition, after all." Sasuke reasons and with that, Gaara throws his bouquet.

The catfight that resulted was so vicious that even Sasuke and Gaara wince. Sasuke had never seen such savagery before. That was certainly saying something because he had fought against Madara Uchiha and lived in the Sound Village. Despite that, these women are far more barbaric.

"Can you believe this?" The young Kage asks and Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief.

Finally, the dust settled. Temari had caught the bouquet, but there was a blue butterfly laying on it. Gaara laughs.

"I'm sorry, Temari. I'm afraid that you were beaten by a butterfly." The red head points out.

"What are you talking about?" Temari asks in confusion.

"Look down at the bouquet. It seems that you finished in second place this time." The Kazekage informs her.

Temari blinks and looks down. Oh. There was actually a butterfly on the bouquet. Gaara was right.

"Oh alright. I guess I can't be mad about losing to a butterfly." She says with a sigh and there were many laughs heard, after she issues that concession.

"Okay, Sasuke! It's your turn to throw the flowers!" Naruto calls out and Sasuke nods as he does exactly that.

Once again, the last human Uchiha was impressed by the utter brutality of the women. All of them were fighting for those flowers with everything they had. It was as if their lives depended on those roses.

"I'm very glad that I prefer men." Sasuke observes as he stands closer to Gaara.

"I am as well. Women can be quite vicious." The Kazekage agrees.

That much was certainly true. It took a full ten minutes before the dust finally settled. This time it was Mei who had caught the bouquet. Well at least that's what it looked like at first.

"Another butterfly?" Mei asks in astonishment.

"It must be butterfly mating season or something." Sakura muses and Shino nods.

It was butterfly mating season. He was surprised Sakura knew that. Then again, she had probably just guessed. Oh well.

"Gaara, let's go cut our cake." Sasuke says with a smile as he heads off with the red head towards the center of the village.

The cake was likely twenty feet high and probably ten feet wide. It was a chocolate cake with red frosting roses. Sasuke smiles because he knew that inside it, there was strawberry filling. His husband loved his strawberries.

"How exactly are we going to cut that?" Gaara asks in confusion.

"We could use your sand to get high enough and I'll use my sword and you can make a sand spear or something." The raven haired groom states.

Gaara nods in agreement. Well that seemed like a reasonable plan. It was certainly better than anything he could currently come up with.

"Alright!" He says as he summons a tsunami of still sand for them to deal with the cake.

The red head couldn't help but smile as he watched Sasuke begin to cut the cake. His Aoi was always so graceful. He sighs and forms a much bigger sword and tries his best to cut.

Together, they somehow manage to cut the cake into manageable slices. This was much to the delight of the crowd. Gaara and Sasuke smile as they hear the cheers and wisely get out of the way of their hungry guests.

"They're like animals." Sasuke whispers.

"I'm afraid that I must agree. I've never seen people behave in such a fashion over flowers and food before today. You would think that they are starving together." Gaara observes half in amusement and half in concern.

"Yeah. Well I think that we should probably get our first dance in as a married couple, before we attempt to sneak off." Sasuke points out.

Gaara shakes his head in exasperation. Sasuke didn't really think that it was going to be that easy, did he? He was Kazekage and Sasuke was the other Groom. People were going to notice their absence.

"You know they'll notice, if we leave early." Gaara whispers as he leads Sasuke off to dance.

Sasuke smiles and wraps his arms around Gaara's neck. He knew that. He just didn't care. All that the last human Uchiha cared about at the moment was him and his new husband. The rest of the world was just background noise.

"They'll notice, but do we really care?" Sasuke whispers in his ear.

"Well it would be rather rude to just leave without saying goodbye. It'd be most improper." Gaara reasons.

"Mhm. Well I'm planning on doing a lot of improper things with you while we are on our Honeymoon. We might as well get a head start." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Gaara blinks. On second thought, their guests would understand. Really, it would be expected to a certain extent. Didn't most newlyweds try to sneak off early? Surely, they would understood.

"Good point. Well let's have a few dances and then be on our way. I wonder if Itachi and his new friend will follow us." The Kazkeage muses out loud.

"I'd say that anything is possible when it comes to that butterfly at this point, but I think that Sakura might be right. Maybe Itachi found himself a girlfriend." Sasuke says.

The Kazekage couldn't help but laugh at that thought. From what little he remembered of Sasuke's brother, the other man wouldn't have bothered. It was quite likely he would have thought such pursuits were frivolous. Had the Massacre not happened, he probably would have entered an arranged marriage for the good of the Clan and wouldn't have bothered with courting anyone.

"I suppose love is in the air then." Gaara laughs as he dances with Sasuke.

Sasuke smiles and twirls around with Gaara. He never thought that he would ever do such a thing in public. Dancing and twirling around like an idiot, but with Gaara it didn't matter.

It was quite likely that people were staring at them. He didn't care though. They had just gotten married. People were supposed to stare at them.

"So what are you hoping for?" Gaara asks.

"Well I figured the Land of Tea or the Waterfall Village would be best. Of course, the Waterfall Village is highly secretive. I know the location, but they probably wouldn't care for me giving it out. So the Land of Tea might make for the ideal Honeymoon location." Sasuke answers.

Hmm. That was a good point. Gaara was planning on taking Sasuke to the Land of Tea for their Honeymoon anyway, but it was good to know that his lover had already considered such things.

"That's where we are going. We're going to the Land of Tea, but that isn't what I meant when I asked you what are you hoping for." The Kazekage replies.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wasn't sure what Gaara was talking about. He was suddenly getting the impression that it was serious though. Very serious.

"What do you mean?" The raven haired man inquires cautiously.

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Gaara asks.

"Oh. It doesn't matter. I'll love our children, no matter what their gender is. That and if we have enough of them, odds are that we'll end up having at least one son and daughter anyway. That's just the laws of probability. Why? Did you have a preference?" Sasuke asks curiously.

Yes and no. Gaara didn't really have a preference. To him, a child was a child. Gender was irrelevant, but he wanted Sasuke to be happy. So if Sasuke had a preference, he did.

"Not really. Not unless you had one." He answers honestly.

"You're so completely selfless." Sasuke observes with a smile as he caresses Gaara's cheek.

This wasn't what he had planned. Originally, Sasuke figured that he would kill Itachi and marry some woman. He'd restore his Clan. Later on, he realized that he preferred men and he was in love with Naruto. Naruto wasn't in love with him though. Now he had Gaara.

Gaara wasn't what he planned. He was better. Honestly, Sasuke knew that he didn't deserve the other man. The red head seemed to love him anyway. He loved Sasuke completely and it might have even been BECAUSE he was so messed up.

"I try. Don't sell yourself short though. You came out of the darkness. It just took you awhile. Most people never manage it. Come on. Everyone is distracted by the cake. I think that we can escape now." Gaara says with a smile as he extends his hand to Sasuke.

"Alright. Let's go." Sasuke agrees with a smile and with that, they leave and head towards the Land of Tea. (After all, they had a Honeymoon to get to.)


	22. Chapter 22

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the Honeymoon Chapter.

Chapter 22

It didn't take long for Sasuke and Gaara to arrive in the Land of Tea. In a way, it was nice to get away from Ninja Territory. Everyone clearly recognized them, but the stares were considerably less than they would have received almost anywhere else. (Well save for the Sand Village.)

"Beautiful. It's beautiful here." Sasuke observes with a smile as he walks hand in hand with Gaara into the Inn that they would be staying at during their Honeymoon.

"Good. It suits you then. Even Itachi and his Mate agree." Gaara states in open amusement.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Unbelievable. These butterflies were stalkers! They could scarcely go anywhere without them. Oh well.

The last human Uchiha by blood supposed that he should count his blessings. At least they were butterflies and no one batted an eyelash at seeing them. It could have been more inconvenient. People would have definitely commented if it was a pair of tigers following them, instead of butterflies.

"You've got to be kidding me." Sasuke scoffs.

"Perhaps they are celebrating their own Honeymoon. They did catch the bouquets. Well rather, the bouquets caught them." Gaara says with a smirk.

"At this point, I'd say that anything is possible." Sasuke agrees as they head inside the Inn, ignoring the butterflies for now.

"Hello. I called a few days ago and made a reservation under the name Uchiha." Gaara greets the receptionist.

Gaara had taken Sasuke's last name. The red head didn't particularly care about such things and he had two siblings. His family name wasn't going to die with him.

That and it was clearly important to Sasuke. So it had been a simple matter to give his Aoi that small concession. The red head would have done far more than that for his new husband though. He had only to ask.

"Welcome Lord Kazek-age and Mr. Uch-iha." The receptionist stammers nervously.

Sasuke knew why. The woman knew who he was. She would have been stupid not to be nervous around him. It still stung though.

"Thank you. May we have our keys, please?" Gaara inquires politely.

Sadly, he knew the truth. It was going to take years to achieve the same level of acceptance in the rest of the world as he had in the Sand Village. That didn't really matter though.

He had Gaara, Naruto, Kakashi, and the butterflies. That was enough. For now, that was all the raven haired man needed. The rest would come with time.

"Oh of course! Here you go. Room number 453." She tells the red head as she hands him a key with that number on it.

"Thank you. Sasuke?" The young Kage inquires as he turns to head off.

"Coming!" Sasuke replies, following his husband off.

Gaara mentally sighs. He saw the way that woman looked at his lover. So had Sasuke. That was hardly the way that he wanted to start their Honeymoon.

"She didn't mean anything by it. Sometimes it just takes people awhile to overlook a rose's thorns, before they appreciate its beauty." He tells Sasuke.

With that being said, the red head places a kiss to Sasuke's cheek and offers him a reassuring smile. Gaara hated how most of the world looked at Sasuke. Many looked him with fear or even pity. There were also plenty who looked at him with unmasked hatred. Those stares were making it difficult for his lover to forgive himself.

There were days when the Kazekage was rather tempted to start Sand Coffining many innocent people. He had to remind himself that they just didn't know any better. Those people didn't know Sasuke like he did.

"Did you really just compare me to a flower?" Sasuke asks incredulously.

That was probably a good thing though. Gaara firmly believed in being honest with himself. So he was honest enough to admit that he was fiercely possessive of his Aoi.

"Yes, I believe that I did." Gaara replies slyly.

"My masculinity feels rather offended at the feminine connotation of such an analogy." Sasuke says with a smirk.

There. That served him right. That was payback for all those times that Gaara spoke to him in that flowery way that he spoke to others in. The Kazekage language that his husband often used was infuriatingly elegant really.

"Well perhaps your masculinity will feel somewhat soothed by the fact that I chose a flower that has thorns and not a delicate one." Gaara offers as he scoops Sasuke up into his arms and proceeds to carry them off to the hot springs.

"Gaara! Put me down! I am not a Bride! So don't carry me like one!" Sasuke protests.

The red head just smirks in response. With that being said, he decides to grant his lover's wish. So the Kazekage drops Sasuke into the hot springs.

"I suppose you have a point. Is that better, My Love?" His husband asks him "innocently."

Sasuke feels himself twitch. Oh that did it. Gaara was going to pay for that. Now his beautiful wedding kimono was all wet. Well, two could play that game.

"Let's see how you like it!" Sasuke growls as he pulls the red head into the water with him.

 _ **SPLASH!**_ Gaara lands in the hot spring with loud splash. He then shakes his head in amusement. That was his Sasuke. In some ways, the other ninja was extremely predictable. In other ways though, he could be just as unpredictable as Naruto.

"I don't know. I think that I find myself quite enjoying this. A nice hot bath with my handsome husband. I fail to see how this is supposed to be a punishment." Gaara informs and before Sasuke could issue a sarcastic retort, he captures the other man's lips with his own.

Sasuke returns the kiss with a smile. As he does so, he quickly wraps his arms around Gaara's neck. From there, it didn't take long for Sasuke to be pulled completely into the red head's lap and their kisses soon became more and more passionate.

"Well when you put it like that, I guess I'll have to come up with other forms of punishment for you." Sasuke says slyly, after breaking the kiss.

"I look forward to them." Gaara assures his lover as he leaves a trail of kisses along his jaw and slowly works his way further south.

The red head knew that the other man's neck was one of his most sensitive spots. It was amazing how just a few well placed kisses could turn a snarling tiger into an adorable sex kitten. Of course, he would never call Sasuke that to his face.

That was probably the fastest way that he could think of to sleeping on the couch. Idly, Gaara wonders if Sasuke would do such a thing. It seemed like such a normal and mundane punishment. Frankly, it would seem rather out of character for his Hellcat.

"Mmm Gaara. That negates the point of a punishment. You aren't really supposed to look forward to it." Sasuke informs him.

"That's a fair point. I suppose that I just enjoy having your full attention on me. I prefer positive, but I'd rather have negative than not at all." The Kazekage replies as he lightly bites down on Sasuke's neck.

The Uchiha moans. The feeling of Gaara's teeth against his skin was erotic to him. He knew that wasn't healthy, but he couldn't help it.

It was probably a good thing that neither of them was exactly normal. For them, their love wasn't expressed with sweet words, holding hands, and gentle lovemaking. It was expressed on the battlefield, with every heated touch, and sometimes animalistic lust.

"Well then I should probably pay attention to you, before you do something stupid to get my attention." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"My thoughts exactly." The red head replies with a sly smile.

 **Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

Sasuke smiles as he quickly strips his lover. It still amazed him just how much those robes could hide. There was certainly something to be said for weight training.

"You call me beautiful a lot, but you're more beautiful." Sasuke tells him as he kisses Gaara's shoulders and then moves down to cover the other man's chest in kisses.

Gaara sighs in pleasure and runs his fingers through Sasuke's dark tresses. The heated kisses felt good against his skin. That and the velvety texture of his lover's hair always soothed him.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Gaara muses as he reaches over and disrobes Sasuke.

Thankfully, the soaking wet wedding kimono was surprisingly cooperative. He could only hope that the rest of the guests at the Inn would be just as cooperative. On second thought, perhaps some privacy was called for.

Gaara summons his sand to form a dorm around the hot springs and themselves. There. That should grant them the required levels of privacy that they so desperately needed.

"That's true. I have to admit that the Academy version of me never would have dreamed that sand could be so…versatile." Sasuke muses as he observes the Sand surrounding them.

"And I never would have thought that I would be the type of person to play with fire. I guess that we have both learned something from meeting one another." The Kazekage replies with smile.

"Mhm. I also learned that Kages love being sucked off just as much as anyone else." The Uchiha says with a smirk

Before Gaara could respond to that, Sasuke slinks lower into his new husband's lap. The raven haired ninja quickly takes the red head into his mouth and begins sucking him fast and hard. He wanted to get Gaara back for carrying him around like a woman and dropping him in the water.

The best way to do that in his mind was to drive him to the brink of madness with lust. Naturally, one of the fastest ways to accomplish this task was through sucking him off. Very few men could resist that, including a certain Kazekage.

"You're an e-vil tease, sometimes! You know that, right?!" Gaara pants, after feeling Sasuke take him into his wonderfully wicked mouth.

Gaara wasn't really sure where Sasuke learned how to do this so well. He knew that the man was almost as inexperienced as him. He decides to pawn it off to Kakashi's books. Yes, that must be it.

Sasuke just smirks around Gaara's arousal. That only made him more determined to drive his lover insane. With that in mind, he sucks harder and lavishes the sensitive flesh with his tongue.

"Damn it, Sasuke!" Gaara growls lustfully as he runs his hands along the Uchiha's back in a sensual massage to show his appreciation.

The feeling of that hot, wet mouth wrapped around his cock was maddening. Gaara could feel the flames of his desire burning hotter and hotter. It was like a volcano that was about to explode.

That was when Sasuke glanced up at him with one ruby red eyed and one lavender. It was a strangely beautiful combination. Otherworldly almost and at the moment, it was incredibly erotic.

The sight of Sasuke's eyes locked on him as he made love to him with his mouth was too much. The Kazekage came hard and fast. There was just no stopping it really.

"That was surprisingly easy." Sasuke says smugly, after he releases the young Kage from his mouth.

Gaara just shakes his head and pulls Sasuke up to kiss him. It was a heated kiss. A primal dance of the tongues that they had both memorized by heart now, but still made them moan with pleasure.

"As I recall, you seem to climax rather quickly as well. This is especially true, when I respond in kind." Gaara retorts, trying to preserve some of his dignity.

"Wasn't going to deny that." Sasuke says as he swims away from Gaara briefly, before dragging the red head into his lap.

"Good because it would make you a very poor liar. My Aoi is many things, but you aren't a liar." He says with a smile.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the nickname. Apparently, it was here to stay. Oh well. There were worse things to be called and he highly doubted that many people would get the reference.

"That's true." He says as he reaches over to his discarded wedding kimono and pulls something out of his pocket.

"Sasuke, what's that?" Gaara demands with a raised eyebrow.

"Lubrication." Sasuke answers "innocently" as he makes a grand show of coating his fingers in the substance.

Only Sasuke. Gaara could only shake his head in amusement and disbelief. He couldn't believe that his lover had hidden THAT inside his wedding kimono.

"You actually got married with that in your pocket?" The red head asks.

"Yes, I did. I figured it was better to have it nearby for when we arrived at our Honeymoon Destination and I was right." The raven haired ninja retorts arrogantly.

"You, my love, are impossible sometimes." Gaara murmurs into his ear.

Sasuke smirks. He knew that. Despite that, the red head loved him anyway. He might as well enjoy it.

"I know, but you like it. Besides, I was merely being practical." Sasuke says as he slides a single digit inside his lover.

"Mmm p-ractical. Of course." Gaara stammers out with a moan.

Sasuke nods in agreement and begins to properly prepare his lover. He would never get tired of being close to his husband in this way. It was amazing really. Sasuke had never thought he'd be the type of person who would seek out intimacy of any kind. Things were different with Gaara though.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to add a second and a third finger. They had made love many times now. He knew exactly where to touch to cause his red head to moan for him. There was something to be said for practice, after all.

"Sasuke!" Gaara groans in his ear and Sasuke smirks as he slides his fingers out of the Kazekage and replaces them with something far bigger.

He knew that Gaara didn't like being "babied." His husband preferred just claimed quickly. He was no longer a blushing virgin. Sasuke couldn't blame him. He was the same way.

The feeling of being inside him was incredible though. So hot and tight. It was a miracle that he didn't spill his seed right then and there, honestly. Somehow he was able not to. Sasuke wanted to ensure that his lover enjoyed himself as well, after all.

"I love you!" Sasuke pants into his ear as he thrusts up into his gorgeous red head.

"I love you too!" Gaara moans wantonly as the two of them begin to move as one.

Fast and hard. That was how he was being taken. Gaara didn't mind though. He loved sensual and slow and he loved coupling like animals. Either way brought him to climax easily. It would be impossible not to bask in an experience like this.

The feeling of Sasuke's warm skin and breath against his own was soothing. The beautiful sight of eyes clouded in pleasure. Every moan and whispered phrase of adoration and especially every thrust that made him with to scream with pleasure.

Sasuke groans in pleasure and strokes Gaara as he slams into him. The red head bucks into his hand. The feeling of being together was too good for either of them to resist. They both tumbled over the edge with each other and came hard.

"Th-at is definitely a form of endurance training that I'll never get tired off." Sasuke says, panting as he slides out of his lover.

"Me neither. Sasuke, go stand over by the sand wall with your back towards me." The Kazekage instructs him.

"Being a Kage has made you bossy." Sasuke says as he gets up and saunters over to the wall.

Gaara smirks. Perhaps it had a little. Sasuke didn't seem to be protesting though. With that thought in mind, he follows his lover.

"I can't exactly deny that, but I promise that you'll find my…assertiveness enjoyable soon enough." Gaara says as he kisses the back of Sasuke's neck and his shoulders.

"Mmm I usually do." The raven haired ninja says.

Sasuke sighs in pleasure. That felt nice. Gaara knew all his spots now. To be fair, he also knew what excited the red head. They could both tease each other without mercy, if they wanted to and they often did.

"Good." Gaara murmurs lustfully as he quickly covers his fingers in the lubrication that Sasuke had so thoughtfully brought with him.

In hindsight, the red head supposed that Sasuke was right. It was just more practical to bring it with him. Certainly, it was easier than improvising.

"Mhm." Sasuke says as he glances back at Gaara and tilts his head back just enough to kiss him.

Gaara smiles and kisses back. That's when he slowly slides two fingers inside Sasuke. The Kazekage figured that his lover was aroused enough from their previous round of lovemaking, that it would be easier to prepare him. That and he was still likely riding out the effects of his orgasm. That was always helpful.

Sasuke moans into the kiss as he deepens it. Gaara returns it with equal passion as he continues sliding his fingers in and out of his lover with one hand and stroking Sasuke with the other. There was just something very stunning about seeing Sasuke pressed up against his sand with his back displayed to him.

It was the perfect display of trust. Ninjas rarely exposed their backs to anyone. For good reason, he might add.

"How do you want me to take you?" He whispers.

"Hard and fast or I'll just turn around and take that hot ass of yours again." Sasuke half promises and half threatens him.

Gaara smirks. Well his husband had never been very shy about asking for what he wanted. With that notation, he removes his fingers and buries himself inside the Uchiha.

Both of them groan in pleasure. Gaara had a slight preference for being the more aggressive of the two of them, but he loved being with his Aoi either way. Secretly, he was sure that Sasuke preferred this role as well. Though his pride would likely never allow him to admit to such a thing.

"Gaara!" Sasuke moans and Gaara could only snarl in pleasure in response.

It still amazed him. Sasuke may have been his only lover, but the Kazekage was still certain that no one else was as hot or tight as the man he currently had pinned against the wall. The man he was currently slamming into with reckless abandon.

Ninjas were used to fighting with everything they had. The language of violence was something they both were intimately familiar with. This wasn't violence exactly, but it was animalistic.

Every thrust made them both moan in pleasure. Gaara continues to stroke Sasuke as he glides his hand over the seductive curve of his hips and squeezes his ass. He could feel Sasuke arching back against him and that only drove him into an even bigger frenzy of desire.

"Mine!" He says simply as he bites down on his neck and sucks hard enough to leave a dark mark.

Sasuke had such delightfully pale skin. It was so easy to mark up. Truthfully, it was a guilty pleasure of Gaara's. As was slamming inside his lover's tight heat and hearing him moan.

The Uchiha throws his head back in pleasure and tries to match his lover's thrusts. God that felt good. It was always like this. Being with Gaara was always complete ecstasy in a way that he knew that he'd never fully be able to articulate.

It didn't matter though. All that mattered was that they had found each other. That and he was so close. As if sensing his thoughts, his lover claims him faster and harder. He brushed up against that spot that had Sasuke seeing stars and with that, he cries out as he came once more. It didn't take long for Gaara to join him.

"Amazing. You're always amazing." Gaara praises him as he slides out of Sasuke and turns him around.

Sasuke was suddenly grateful that the red head had such a firm grip on him. He wasn't entirely certain that he would have been able to stand up other wise. It was a damn good thing that he had such a considerate lover really.

 **End Honeymoon Lemon**

"You're amazing too." Sasuke says with a smile.

The two lovers hold each other. Each of them, desperately tries to catch their breath and will their hearts to slow down. That was always a difficult task. Their lovemaking was nothing, if not passionate.

"One of these days, you're going to kill me." Gaara says as he kisses Sasuke's forehead.

"I was about to say the same to you, but it would be a damn fine way to go." Sasuke tells him with a smirk.

Gaara could only laugh in response. He couldn't exactly disagree with that. If one had to die, dying from having too much fantastic sex was a good way to go. He couldn't think of a better way, really.

"Come. Let's get dressed and ago to our room. I imagine that someone else will want to use the hot springs at some point." Gaara reasons.

"That's true. We probably shouldn't be selfish and keep them all to ourselves." Sasuke agrees.

"Yes, that would be very selfish of us and reflect poorly on the sand. Perhaps you could use a Fire Jutsu to dry off our clothes?" Gaara suggests.

Sasuke snorts in amusement as he does precisely that. Gaara really did have a unique sense of humor. Though that was really just one of the many things that Sasuke loved about him.

"Yes, we can't have that. I suppose this also the part where I remind you why our clothes are wet. You are the one who dropped me into the water." He points out.

"That's true, but you did say to put you down. I was merely doing what you asked me to do." The red head replies slyly.

"Uh huh. You're just so cooperative." Sasuke mutters as the two of them get dressed.

"Yes, that's true. It's one of my many admirable qualities. Shall we go inspect our room, My Love?" Gaara asks as he dispels the sand and offers Sasuke his hand.

The Uchiha nods his head in agreement. That sounded like a fine idea. After all, there was nothing better than some cuddling after some great sex. Naturally, he was never going to admit that out loud though. He did have some pride, after all.

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Sasuke says as the two of them walk hand in hand, back to their Honeymoon Suite.


	23. Chapter 23

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the pregnancy chapter.

 **Chapter Notations:** Unless you are reading a flashback, this takes place a year in the future and Gaara is eight months along. **If any of this makes you squeamish, you can skip this chapter without any issues. Doing so, will not alter the plot.** I have also put up warnings before and after any scenes that I felt might be a smidge eccentric or too clinical for some readers.

Chapter 23

Eight months later and Gaara didn't know whether to find his husband's overprotective nature adorable or the most irritating thing that he had ever experienced in all his existence. Well maybe he should say HER husband's overprotective nature. The Kazekage was still "trapped" in the Sexy Jutsu. So things like pronouns had become rather confusing over the past eight or so months.

"Gaara, don't give me that look. You know that you should be resting. You're in your third trimester." Sasuke says as he sits on the bed next to his husband (or should he say wife?).

"Sasuke, I love you and I'm desperately trying to remember that at the moment. Do not make that task more difficult than it already is." The red head sulks.

Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. He knew this couldn't be easy for Gaara. Not only had he been a woman for the better part of nine months, but he (or should he say she?) was heavily pregnant with _**twins**_.

"We could have used a surrogate." Sasuke reminds him.

"I was not going to let someone else carry your child, if I had a way around it. That's a very sacred bond. I'll be fine in a month or so." The Kazekage grumbles.

Sasuke just shakes his head and kisses the red head's forehead. It was the strangest sensation. Gaara was a beautiful woman, even Sasuke realized that and he had no sexual attraction to women at all.

He knew that he LOVED Gaara. Truly, madly, and deeply. It was just that the female form didn't arouse his _interest_. The eldest Uchiha by blood could only hope that fact didn't hurt his husband's feelings.

"You know that stereotype about red head's being stubborn and feisty?" Sasuke asks Gaara.

"Yes, I'm familiar with the old wise tale." The pregnant Kazekage replies.

"It's one hundred percent accurate. Stop being stubborn and let me take care of you. Let me take care of the three of you." Sasuke tells him with a smile as he kisses Gaara's forehead.

Despite how annoyed he was only a minute ago, Gaara couldn't help but smile. Sasuke was certainly a devoted husband. Actually, he was obsessively devoted now. Gaara was almost certain that if he would tolerate it, his new feminine feet would never have to touch the ground.

Sasuke would likely happily carry her Bridal Style everywhere. Not only that, but he was constantly giving him massages and lavishing her with praise. Gaara suspected that his lover was worried that doing otherwise might somehow jinx his pregnancy.

"Alright. You do need to relax. I would like for the twins to be able to meet you. I don't want you to get yourself killed by having a stroke or something." The young Kage points out.

"You don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't miss seeing them for the world." Sasuke says with a smile as he strokes his husband's now deceptively soft cheek.

Sasuke decides just to mentally refer to Gaara as a male in his head. It was easier. Besides, the red head would be a man again soon. As long as they weren't in public, it didn't really matter.

"Good. If you died before I gave birth, I'd find a way to revive you and then I would kill you again." The Kazekage warns him.

The raven haired man snorts in amusement in response. At the moment, Gaara was about the furthest thing from intimidating as it was possible to be. He was carrying twins and eight months pregnant. He looked like a sexy pufferfish.

"I'm trembling, Gaara. Truly." Sasuke says dryly.

"Don't you get cocky, Uchiha. I might not be light on my feet at the moment, but my sand works just fine." Gaara growls.

Sasuke could only smirk in response. The Kazekage's sand was formidable, but he was sure that he could manage. That and Sasuke wasn't scared because he knew the truth. The red head loved him. He wouldn't actually go through with hit.

"I suppose that's true. Though you'll be a man again soon. I imagine that you've been feeling horribly neglected the past few months. I am planning on making it up to you though." The former Leaf Ninja assures him.

"What do you mean by neglected? Sasuke, you are constantly by my side. I dare say that there isn't a single pregnant woman who has a more attentive father of her children. You are almost infuriatingly attentive! You haven't neglected me in any way." The other ninja replies.

"I have. We haven't been _together_ since we visited the doctors." Sasuke says as he leans over the young woman and purrs dangerously in her ear.

Gaara feels himself shiver. Oh THAT'S what he meant. Now, he completely understood what his husband meant.

He couldn't deny that he missed sex. The Kage missed it a lot actually, but most of the time he was too exhausted or self-conscious to pout over it for too long. Thankfully, at least the Morning Sickness had passed though. That hadn't been a pleasant time for him.

"Well that is certainly something to look forward to." Gaara says with a smile.

It had been a long nine or so months. The red head couldn't lie. He was looking forward to being a man again. It still disturbed him to look into the mirror every day and see a woman staring back at him.

He sighs as he remembers the first day that he had tried the Sexy Jutsu. Sasuke had been in shock. The red head could remember it like it was only yesterday.

 _"Are you sure that you really want to do this? We can always use surrogates. It doesn't really matter to me, Gaara. It'd be nice for our children to be biologically related to both of us, but love is love. It doesn't matter to me, if the child is only yours or only mine based on their genes." He said._

 _"I'm sure that I want to do this. I've been practicing with Naruto and I think that I got it now. SEXY JUTSU!" The other man said._

 _A puff of sand soon surrounded Gaara. When the smoke cleared, the red head glanced at himself in the mirror and blinked. That certainly hadn't been what he had been expecting._

 _His hair was now considerably long. It reached to his slender waist in straight though slightly spiked strands. His eyes were definitely bigger and framed by longer lashes. That only made the black markings around his face more striking though. Perhaps most disturbingly of all though was the fact that she now possessed an hourglass figure and a certain CRITICAL piece of his anatomy was missing._

 _"At least the sand covers the more…important parts." Gaara said with a sigh._

 _"Gaara, you're beautiful. If it's any consolation, you're far more attractive than Naruto is when he's like this." Sasuke offered._

 _"Thanks, Aoi. That's kind of you to say, but this is still awkward. It doesn't matter though. I'd do anything for you and our family, even give up my masculinity for awhile." He said with a sigh._

 **Warning Clinical Description Scene**

They had quickly found out that Sasuke just didn't respond to his "wife" the same way, that he did to his husband. That was fine with Gaara though. Well for the most part anyway. It did hurt, but the red head understood why. Sasuke just wasn't attracted too women. Neither was Gaara. It really was just that simple.

That and Gaara still felt more vulnerable in this form. He (or she) wasn't really that eager to find out what it was like to have sex as a woman. Therefore, it hadn't taken them long to realize that a scientific method might be the wiser choice in their _unique_ case.

"What are you thinking about?" Sasuke asks as he cuddles to her.

"My pregnancy." The Kazekage replies honestly.

Thankfully, it appeared that Sasuke was an overachiever in everything. It hadn't taken long for it to work. It had only taken two or three trips to the doctor for Gaara to become pregnant. Really, it had only taken about a month. (Gaara's dignity was rather relieved at that particular development.)

 **End of Clinical Description Scene**

"I guess it's hard not to think about it, when the physical reminder of your pregnancy is so obvious." Sasuke muses.

"Sasuke, are you mocking my weight?! I'll have you know that the doctor said this is a perfectly normal amount of weight to gain for a woman expecting twins!" Gaara huffs.

"You really are a woman. You're so sensitive about your weight and everything." Sasuke observes in amusement.

"You would do well to remember that in a month, I will be fully male again. I'm going to remember every single thing you said and did to me while I was in this compromising situation and I will punish you accordingly." The red head hisses at him.

"I look forward to it." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Gaara might temporarily be a woman, but Gaara was still Gaara. Sasuke didn't have any doubts that the red head would make good on his promise. He'd never known the man to go back on his word.

He smiles as he glances at his husband's rather rounded belly. It was a shame that he wasn't attracted to women really. He was such a cute pufferish at the moment, but the desire just wasn't there.

The love was there though. That was definitely still there. He smiles more as he remembers them finding out that Gaara was expecting.

 _"Congratulations! It seems that your surrogate is pregnant." The medic said._

 _They were currently in the Water Nation. Mei found the idea of them being married rather romantic and was more than happy to lend her village's medical expertise to a "good cause." Mei just mistakenly thought that meant surrogacy._

 _She was wrong about that, but it was just easier to let the busty Kage believe otherwise. If Sasuke had anything to say about it, no one was ever going to find out that Gaara had volunteered to carry their children. While for the most part the world had accepted their marriage, Gaara turning into a woman and getting pregnant was something else entirely._

 _Sasuke was sure that there would likely be idiots out there that would protest. They'd claim it was violating the rules of nature. That it was blasphemy or something. Neither of them cared though._

 _"That's wonderful news!" Gaara smiled._

 _He went by Gina in this form though. Their cover story was that Gina was a Mist Ninja who had volunteered to help them. The red head wanted to help forge closer ties between the Sand and Mist. So far, everyone had bought it._

 _Why wouldn't they? It was certainly more believable than the truth. Who would believe that Gaara had temporarily turned himself into a woman in order to carry Sasuke Uchiha's child?_

 _"Yes, it is. Thank you, Gina. I can't tell you how much this means to Gaara and I." Sasuke said, continuing their act._

 _"You're welcome. I am glad to be able to help the two of you and to tie our villages more closely together. I'm certain that you will make wonderful parents." "Gina" decreed with a smile._

 _"Thank you." He whispered._

"It seems that we aren't the only ones who are passing on the Will of Fire." Sasuke observes in amusement.

Gaara raises an eyebrow. He wasn't entirely certain what Sasuke meant. That's when he looks around the room and laughs at what he saw. A Colony of Itachis (and Konans).

There were lots of small butterflies fluttering around the room. Some were blue. Some were purple and some were a mixture of the two colors. Well there was no doubting who had sired these butterflies.

"Yes, it does appear that Itachi has been rather busy with his lady. I suppose that this means there is some merit to the tradition of throwing bouquets at weddings." Gaara comments.

"Yes, I must concur with you on this matter." Sasuke teases him.

Gaara rolls his eyes good-naturedly. The other Uchiha couldn't resist teasing him about his manner of speech. Apparently, Sasuke thought it was flowery or something.

The red head didn't agree. He thought that his speech was perfectly normal. This was just how Kages talked. Well the sane ones anyway. On second thought, maybe he was the odd ball.

Most of his peers were not playing with a full deck. Mei was a hopeless romantic. The Raikage was far too aggressive. Onoki should have retired years ago and as for the Leaf, well what more really needed to be said?

"I thought you might." The Kazekage says as he watches the butterflies flit about the room.

Sasuke watches in astonishment. It seemed that Itachi must have won the blue butterfly over. He called her Konan because her wings were the same shade of blue that the female Akatsuki member's had been.

"He really is such a showoff. He even has to have kids sooner than me when he's a freaking butterfly." The Uchiha observes.

"Well if it's any consolation, our children were conceived first. Humans just have longer pregnancies than butterflies." Gaara reminds him.

They were having twins. Two girls. The red head could recall the day that particular bombshell had been dropped on them with perfectly clarify.

 _"If you like, we can find out the gender today." The medic informed them._

 _Sasuke glanced at Gaara. Gaara smiled in response. He knew that Sasuke was asking his permission._

 _"I'd like to know, if he and Gaara have already agreed to knowing." Gina told the medic._

 _"We've agreed in advance. Both of us are rather curious. That and it will make shopping for baby clothes much easier." The Uchiha Patriarch explained._

 _Their physician nodded in response as she set up the ultrasound. Immediately,, Sasuke's keen eyes blinked. He wasn't seeing one shape on that screen, but two. That was impossible though._

 _The only way such a thing should be possible is if they were having twins. Wait. Were they having twins?!_

 _"Well it appears that the Uchiha Clan's restoration efforts are off to a fine start. You're having twins. Now, let's see if we can't figure out the gender or genders." The medic informed them kindly._

 _The two future parents nodded their heads in consent. With that being agreed upon, the woman set about continuing her task. Their children were shy or rather mischievous, Gaara noted. It took the medic the better part of a half hour to determine their genders._

 _"Two Princesses for the Sand Village." The physician told them with a smile._

 _Gaara didn't know who was more surprised at that declaration. For some reason, he had expected a son. He was pretty sure that Sasuke had assumed the same. He glanced at his lover a bit warily._

 _"Two Uchiha Sand princesses. I'm certain that they will have the entire village wrapped around their fingers in no time." Sasuke said as he smiled at Gaara._

 _The red head mentally sighed in relief. Good. Sasuke didn't have an issue with having daughters. Then again, he had said that it didn't matter earlier. That was different though._

 _It was one thing to say that gender didn't matter when you were thinking about it in the abstract. It was another thing to say so, after you knew for a fact whether you were having a son or a daughter (or two daughters)._

 _"I'm sure that Gaara will be just as ecstatic by the news." The Kazekage said._

 _They had told Mei and their medic that Gaara was still back in the Sand. He was performing his Kazekage Duties while Sasuke helped their surrogate. Luckily, no one thought to question their story._

 _Gaara smiled down at his now rounded stomach. That was the first moment that he really knew in his gut that their children would be arriving in a few short months. It hadn't felt real until that moment, but now he knew that their princesses were on their way._

"That's true. Itachi! Did you hear that? I beat you!" Sasuke says smugly.

Just then a purple butterfly that was larger than the other ones, flew over. It flutters its wings in a cocky fashion and then lands on Sasuke's forehead. Once Itachi was in his spot, he proceeds to poke Sasuke's forehead again.

Gaara couldn't help but roar with laughter. Some things would never change. He wasn't certain if the butterfly was actually Sasuke's reincarnated brother, but it certainly acted like it. That and the look on his lover's face was priceless.

"Unbelievable. The butterfly is mocking me." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Again." Gaara comments with a smirk.

His husband just rolls his eyes. The butterflies were apparently here to stay and the lovers had grown quite used to it. In a strange way, they had become almost another part of their family.

"Did you tell Kankuro that we're expecting twins?" Sasuke asks with a smirk of his own.

"I may have sent him a scroll a few days ago. I imagine it should be arriving today. After all, he's going to be an uncle. He does have a right to know." Gaara says with a smile.

Meanwhile in the Sand Village, Kankuro blinks as a messenger hawk flies to him. Curiously, he thanks the hawk and takes the scroll that it was offering him. What he reads fills him with complete dread.

 **Dear Kankuro,**

 **As you know, Sasuke and I have left the Wind Nation in search of suitable surrogates. We found one and she is now carrying our children. She's approximately eight months along.**

 **We have found out the gender of our twins. Sasuke and I are going to have two daughters in the immediate future. We are both overjoyed at this news.**

 **I trust that you will share in our happiness. Our princesses could not ask for a better uncle or a better aunt. By the way, could you please inform Temari of this? It just seems easier than sending two letters.**

 **I trust that things are going well in the Sand. We shall likely be returning in two months time. Perhaps a little more. Hopefully, our children are born healthy.**

 **After all, they are going to be the Mini Uchiha Army. An army should have healthy "soldiers." As always, you and our sister are in my thoughts and I hold you both close to my heart.**

 **Love, Gaara.**

"We're all in big trouble." He says with a sigh as he quickly heads off to find his sister.

"Temari! Temari!" He calls out.

"What is it?" Temari asks in confusion when she hears her brother's panicked voice.

That wasn't a good sign. Kankuro rarely panicked. He was an experienced ninja. A ninja who had fought honorably in the war at that. Frankly, the fact that he was frightened of something meant that it was a threat that should be taken seriously.

"It's a long story. It's probably easier just to let you read this and see for yourself." The puppet master replies as he hands her the scroll.

Temari raises an eyebrow. What could possibly be in this scroll that merited such a reaction from her normally very composed brother. Curiously, she takes the scroll and begins reading.

"They actually did it." She whispers as much to herself as to her brother.

"Yeah! I know! It's terrifying, isn't it? Sasuke has actually spawned." Kankuro points out.

Temari twitches and takes out her fan. Honestly, this is what Kankuro was panicking about? He was worried because Gaara and Sasuke were going to twins?

"Oh grow up! Sasuke's been living in the sand for well over two years now. I can't believe that you actually are still scared of him. Hasn't he proven to you by now that he loves Gaara and that he's a loyal citizen?" She demands.

"Owe! Hey, don't hit me! Yeah. I guess he has, but what about his kids?!" The puppet master demands.

"You mean our nieces?!" Temari practically snarls in outrage.

It was at that moment that the other Sand Villager realizes that he might have gone too far. Temari might not be Gaara, but she could certainly be scary. She could be very scary when she wanted to be. There was a reason why she was a Jonin, after all.

"Yes, I mean them! Oh come on! You know what his family is like. They aren't exactly known for producing well-adjusted ninjas." Kankuro points out.

"Kankuro…" She growls out warningly.

"I mean there's Sasuke. Enough said, really. There's Itachi. I know that he didn't do it of his own free will, but he killed his entire family. Not to mention Obito and Madara! That is a family with more than a few screws loose!" He continues.

 _SLAP! SMACK! BAM!_ Temari hurls her fan at her brother. Honestly, she was apparently going to have to teach him some manners. He was being so ridiculous. It was most unbecoming of a Sand Ninja.

"I won't listen to you talk about our nieces that way. For your sake, you better get over this childish fear. They are just babies. Well they will be babies. It's our job to love them and teach them how to be good people. Oh and proper ninjas. I'm sure that they will love playing with your dolls." The busty blonde observes happily.

"They aren't dolls! They are puppets! I use them for serious ninja business!" Kankuro protests.

Temari shrugs. She knew that. The Sand Woman certainly respected her brothers formidable skills, but she also knew that he was sensitive about them. He hated when people called his puppets dolls.

Unfortunately for him, he deserved it in this case. She wasn't going to let anyone talk about their nieces that way. Not even Kankuro.

"They're dolls and you are going to be nice to these children or else you'll have to deal with their fathers. I don't think that you want to make Sasuke Uchiha or Gaara angry." She reminds him.

"That's a good point. We're all doomed." He mutters forlornly.


	24. Chapter 24

Your Eyes

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. This "ship" appears to have a fair number of shippers, it was just that not a lot of people built ships (stories) for it. So I will likely do another Sasuke x Gaara story at some point. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the grand finale of _**Your Eyes**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** The butterflies are too small and speak too quickly/softly for humans to understand them. Itachi and Konan can communicate with each other though.

Chapter 24

Two weeks later, Gaara went into labor. Sasuke and his husband had expected this though. He was carrying twins. It only made sense that their daughters would both want to "stretch their legs" sooner than expected, as Sasuke put it.

 **Warning Delivery Scene**

"That's it! I want a C-Section!" Gaara growls at the poor, innocent medic.

"Gina, you're having a perfectly normal delivery for a woman expecting twins. I can give you anesthesia though,, if you desire it. There are different levels of course." The medic explains.

Sasuke sighs and holds Gaara's hand. He wanted to comfort "Gina" properly, but he knew that he couldn't. The medic, Shora, thought that Gina was just his surrogate. That meant that the Uchiha could only be so affectionate before she became suspicious.

The raven haired ninja did not envy Shora's task. Unbeknownst to her, she was actually helping the first man in the history of the planet to give birth. Well sorta. Gaara's body was very female at the moment, but his mind was certainly male.

"Give me the highest safe dose!" Gaara orders her with more than a little steel in his voice.

It was all terribly confusing. A male mind, but a female body. Sasuke sometimes wondered how Gaara (or Gina) had maintained his sanity for so long. It was nothing short of a miracle.

"Of course." Shora assures her as she proceeds to do exactly that.

Sasuke watches anxiously. Gaara was attempting to do something that no man should really ever attempt. From what he had gathered so far, childbirth was apparently more painful than fighting Madara. He certainly didn't envy his lover at the moment.

The snarls, growls, and screams of agony gradually decreased after the anesthesia was administered. Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief when he realizes this. At least Gaara wasn't in as much pain now.

"Push!" Shora instructs the very frustrated red head.

Gaara glares at her rather hatefully. Logically, the Kazekage knew that it wasn't the petite brunette's fault. She was just doing her job. Shora would have instructed anyone to push, but that didn't stop the Kage from being outraged at her instructions.

Pushing was really the last thing that she wanted to do. Unfortunately, he knew that it was necessary. The twins needed to be born and for some reason, the blue eyed medic refused to give her a C-Section!

"How about you push?!" Gaara snaps at the innocent woman as she does as she was bidden.

"I know that it isn't fun, but it has to be done." The physician explains.

Sasuke shakes his head and grasps Gaara's hand harder. It was really the only way that the Uchiha thought he could safely comfort his husband. If he said anything, Sasuke was damn sure that it would be used against him.

Gaara sighs and glances at Sasuke. He was doing this for his Aoi and their children. With that in mind, he decides not to Sand Coffin the poor medic. After all, that would be a rather omen for their daughters' arrival.

He knew that Sasuke loved him and that made it easier. The red head could see it in his husband's eyes. Sasuke might not be able to say it at the moment, but it was written all over his face. That made Gaara smile, until a contraction hit anyway.

"Damn it!" He snarls in frustration.

The delivery continued on until late into the night. Eventually though,, Gaara hears a rather loud cry. It was their firstborn. She had made her way out of the womb.

"You're doing amazingly! I'll have one of the nurses check on her. Push! Push! You still have the second child to deliver." Shora says as she smiles and hands the newborn to the nurse.

"Gaara, don't." Sasuke whispers to his lover.

He could see the sand beginning to swirl. Gaara might be a man, but apparently maternal instincts came with the female body. The Kazekage definitely did not want someone else handling his daughter, especially immediately after her birth!

"You're right." He sighs as he somehow finds the strength to push.

After all, they were having twins. Their second daughter still needed to be born. It wasn't over yet.

Luckily, she was more cooperative than her sister. That or the eldest had "cleared the way" for her twin. Either way, it didn't take long for a second cry to pierce through the night.

 **End Delivery Scene**

"The first one is healthy. She's beautiful." Shora assures Gaara as she hands the bundle back to the new "mother."

Gaara was about to issue a scathing reply. Something like she had BETTER be beautiful. The Kazekage had just lost his masculinity for months and suffered through hours and hours of childbirth. Their children had better be perfect!

"Thank you." The red head mutters as she cradles the bundle in his arms and looks down at the newborn curiously.

"Beautiful." Sasuke whispers as he looks down at his eldest child.

Gaara smiles as he looks down at their daughter. Sasuke was right. She had inherited his blood red hair, but almost everything else was pure Sasuke. Well besides her ears. She definitely had Gaara's ears.

Her skin was ivory like Sasuke's and she had his facial features. That hair though, made it rather obvious who her other father was. Uh oh.

"You're right. She is beautiful, but we are going to need lots of suntan lotion. That beautiful skin of yours, burns far too easily." The Kazekage says.

"Well I adapted. I'm sure that she will as well. She's perfect. You have no idea how happy you have made me and Gaara. Thank you." Sasuke says as he smiles at the newborn.

Shora chuckles as she places another bundle in Sasuke's arms. The other proud father and looks down. Their twins were finally here and they were so beautiful and well _tiny._

Their second daughter had his raven black hair and Gaara's aqua eyes. She certainly had Gaara's facial features. Well save for her nose. Sasuke notes with amusement that she certainly had his nose.

"They're perfect, Gina." He tells her with a smile.

"Yes, they are. Now we just have to name them and figure out how we're going to tell everyone." Gaara observes thoughtfully.

"Well I already sent out scrolls telling them to meet us at Mei's home in two weeks time. I figured that's long enough for Gaara to get here and for you to recover. I'm going to suggest to Gaara that we name the red head after his mother and our second child, after mine." Sasuke informs him.

Gaara smiles. Mikoto and Karura. It would be a fitting tribute to their mothers. Gaara had never actually met Mikoto, but he was still grateful to her. Without her, he'd never have his Sasuke or their twins. That and he wanted to honor his own mother as well.

"I like those names and I'm sure that Lord Gaara will as well." He says with a sly smile.

Fourteen days later, Gaara was in Mei's home with Sasuke and their daughters. Thankfully, Gaara was back to being Gaara. No longer did he have to pretend to be Gina.

"We got lucky. Mei actually believes that Gina recovered swiftly and her escorts are taking her back to the Sand before us." Sasuke tells his husband.

"Yes, we got very lucky." The red head agrees as he rocks Karura in his arms and feeds her, her bottle.

Gaara had heard that "natural milk" was better for infants, but he just wasn't willing to stay a woman for a moment longer than he had to. Besides, wonderful advances in formula had been made recently. It was almost as good as the "real thing."

"I imagine the loser will be here soon." Sasuke says with a smirk as he feeds Mikoto.

Mikoto was certainly the more docile of the two. As long as she was feed and clean, she was quite content to just quietly observe her surroundings. If she wasn't doing that, she was usually cuddling up to her parents or sleeping.

"Is she anything like her grandmother?" Gaara asks curiously.

"I think so. I mean they are only babies. It's hard to tell what their true personalities will eventually end up being. My mother was a very sweet woman though. Just like Mikoto." The Uchiha Patriarch explains.

Gaara chuckles. Well that was a fair point. Though he doubted their daughters' personalities would change that much as they got older. At a certain point, you just were who you were.

"That's good to know." The red head says as he smiles down at their eldest.

It felt so good to be a man again. The Kazekage felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. Both literally and metaphorically. At least now, he no longer resembled a pufferfish!

Once he got used to being in his own body again, he was likely going to leave the twins with Temari for a few days. He and Sasuke had lots of time to make up for. Oh and he was still going to punish Aoi for sassing him while he was pregnant.

"You're smirking. Should I be afraid?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh yes. Yes, you should." The Kazekage warns them.

Before Gaara could elaborate on why, the door bursts open. Naruto, Kankuro, Temari, Kakashi, Hinata, Sakura, and Ayume were all there. Sasuke and Gaara could only blink at the crowd.

"So where are the Minis?!" Naruto asks brightly.

"The Minis?" The Sand Ninja asks incredulously as he raises his eyebrow.

"Yeah! You know, the babies!" His friend clarifies as if it was the most natural thing in the world to refer to them as the Minis.

Kakashi just shakes his head in amusement. Oh boy. This was going to be interesting. Naruto was a force of nature, but he was dealing with first time fathers.

"What did you end up naming them?" The silver haired ninja asks.

"We named them, after our mothers. Our firstborn is a red head. So we named her after Gaara's. Our youngest we named after mine." Sasuke explains.

"Oh that's really sweet!" Sakura exclaims as she heads over to examine the babies who were still snuggled in their parents arms.

Sasuke sighs and lets Sakura see them. He held no malice towards the woman, but it was hard for him to let others see the twins. On one hand, he wanted to show them off. On the other, well parental instincts could be really powerful things.

"Oh! They're adorable!" She says, beaming.

"Yes, they are. Our little princesses." Gaara says smugly as the others begin crowding more into the room.

Ayume shakes her head in amusement and goes to see the red head. Mikoto was currently "swatting"" at Sakura's pink hair. The newborn seemed to find the color fascinating.

"Congratulations, Lord Gaara and Sasuke. They're beautiful. I imagine that there will be much rejoicing, once you are all back in the Sand Village." The medic observes with a smile.

"Yes, we can't wait to make the announcement." Gaara agrees with the kind healer.

Sasuke nods at Ayume. He was glad to have her here. Honestly, he would have preferred for her to be the one two deliver the twins. Sadly, that wasn't possible. They had to keep Gaara's transformation a secret. Oh well. It had all worked out in the end.

"Wow! I can't believe these are Sasuke's kids! They are way too cute!" Naruto observes.

"Sand Coffin!" Gaara mutters as his sand wraps around Naruto in a rather menacing fashion.

"Hey! Hey! I was just joking! Put me down! Bastard, tell Gaara to put me down!" Naruto whines rather comically.

Mikoto and Karura coo and giggle as they watch one of their daddies play with another big person. The two sisters were far too young to realize that Naruto might actually be in danger. To them, it was just a game.

Suddenly, more sand shoots up out of nowhere and a burst of flames joins it. The two substances combine as they join the original sand. The infants giggling madly, all the while.

"I told you! I told you!" Kankuro says as he watches in horror.

"Are the babies doing that?" Hinata asks in shock.

Sasuke blinks. It seemed like they were. He knew that Gaara's sand responded to him instinctively, but he didn't think that would be passed on. It looked like at least one of their daughters used fire and the other sand.

"I think so." Sasuke replies cautiously.

Temari sighs and whacks Kankuro upside the head with her fan. She knew what he was going to say and she wasn't going to allow him to ruin the moment. He was a good man, but he could be really dense sometimes.

"Don't even say it." The feisty blonde warns him.

"Well I guess they took after both of them;. I kinda have to agree with Naruto though. They are way too cute to be Sasuke's kids. I'm confused about how one of them has the sand. I thought that you guys used surrogates. So why do they look like both of you?" The puppet master asks.

Sasuke and Gaara go silent at the question. This was the question that they had both been dreading. Still they were prepared for this.

"The surrogate was willing to carry twins. Thanks to some rather advanced medical science we were both able to fertilize the egg. Our genes were split evenly. Basically, we are both the biological fathers." Sasuke says.

That causes everyone to blink. None of them had ever heard of such a thing. Then again, apparently a baby could breathe fire and another could wield sand. Anything was possible.

"We're all so screwed! They're completely adorable and they have their fathers' abilities?!" Kankuro wails.

The twins coo and giggle in response. Sasuke raises an eyebrow. It was almost like their daughters understood what their uncle was saying.

Nevermind. He must be imagining things. They were only two weeks old. That wasn't possible.

"You're being ridiculous. They're just babies." Naruto says and that's when the Colony of Itachis flutter into the room.

Gaara shakes his head in amusement. These butterflies were relentless. They had somehow hitchhiked into their luggage and followed them to the Water Nation. It was both touching and a little disturbing, really.

"They're so pretty." The women all say in unison and the men shake their heads.

"Yes, they are. The butterflies are an unofficial part of our family, I guess you could say." Sasuke states.

That's when the largest purple butterfly pokes him on the forehead. Sasuke twitches. Itachi was Itachi. It didn't matter whether or not he had been reincarnated. Apparently, he was never going to stop poking his forehead!

"Yes, I assume that it's safe to say that. Temari, would you mind watching the twins for a couple of days. Sasuke and I haven't had a chance to spend much time with each other since the surrogacy." Gaara asks.

"Oh I don't mind at all! They're so sweet." The feisty blonde observes as she takes her red headed niece into her arms.

Karura smiles at the attention. She liked it when big people paid attention to her. She snuggles up into the woman's chest and coos. The big person must be safe, otherwise her daddies wouldn't let her near her.

Her daddies were really strong. They wouldn't let anything happen to them. She and Mikoto knew that much.

"Yes, they are." Sasuke agrees with a smile.

Mikoto glances over at her sister. Hmm. She didn't know most of these big people. It didn't look like the big person was hurting her sister though. That was good. If she tried to hurt her sister, she would send the sand at her.

Yes, yes she would! Nobody messes with her sister and gets away with it! Hmpf!

"Alright. Alright. I'm sure that that's enough excitement for the day. Let's give them some privacy." Kakashi says with a knowing smile.

"Thanks." Sasuke says and with that, the large group slowly makes their way out of the room.

"Well that went better than expected. We seem to have thoroughly traumatized Kankuro though." Gaara points out with a smirk.

The butterflies flutter around rather fast at that statement. The Kazekage half wondered if he had gone crazy, but it almost seemed as if they were concurring with his observation. Well he supposed that stranger things had happened. Maybe, they really were.

A few days later, the new family was finally back in the Sand. Temari was watching the twins and had two other babysitters to assist her with that task. Aoda and Garuda.

"Do you really think that a giant snake and a massive hawk should babysit our children?" The red head demands.

"I don't see why not. They are both completely loyal to me. Besides, Aoda and Garuda love the twins. They'll take good care of them. Now let me take good care of their mommy." Sasuke taunts him.

Gaara twitches. Oh he was going to get his revenge alright. Sasuke was going to pay for all the suffering that he had to endure as a woman. The Kazekage was going to maek sure of it.

"I'm their father. Not their mother." He insists.

"Mmm, I know. I was just teasing you." Sasuke assures his lover as he captures Gaara's lips in a heated kiss.

Oh how Gaara had missed this. Sasuke would occasionally kiss his forehead, his cheek, or his hand. He hadn't kissed him much while he was a woman though.

He definitely missed the other man's kisses. Well that and other things. Other things that involved a distinct lack of clothing and the Uchiha bent over as many hard surfaces as the red head could possibly find.

"Speaking of that, I hope you know that you have a great deal to make up to me." Gaara informs Sasuke as he strips him.

"Mm I know. Don't worry, I plan on making it all worth it." His husband promises.

"Yes, of course. Naturally, we are going to begin with my being the one in control of our lovemaking for the foreseeable future. This will likely include, but not be limited to the use of sandcuffs." He begins.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Well he had seen that one coming. He didn't mind though. Nine months was a very long time to go without sex. So he wasn't going to be picky about positions.

"Mmm that's fair." Sasuke replies as he begins stripping Gaara.

"And as I know you, I doubt you'll be satisfied with only two children. So next time, you are going to be the one that goes through all that!" The Kazekage snaps at him.

Sasuke blinks. He wasn't really sure how he felt about that. He adored their daughters with every fiber of his being, but two children was a rather small Clan Revival.

"Agreeable." He says cautiously.

"Good. With that being said, I missed this. I missed our lovemaking. I missed being able to tell you that I love you in public and having you respond in kind." Gaara says as he shoves Sasuke onto the couch.

"I missed it too and I love you. Never forget that." Sasuke whispers as they exchange a heated kiss.

The next few days were a blur of heated kisses, tangled limbs and lustful moans. The two lovers were completely lost in each other. The rest of the world had ceased to exist for the moment. They could think only of each other. (The proud parents could indulge in this luxury because they knew that Mikoto and Karura were in good hands, scales, and talons.)

The two eventually collapse into each other's arms. Completely exhausted, but satisfied. Gaara smiles as he runs his fingers through Sasuke's dark tresses. The same tresses that their youngest daughter had inherited.

"I think that we accomplished two firsts. That was the first time that a man gave birth and I believe Karura is the first red headed Uchiha." Gaara observes with amusement.

"Mmm I'm not sure really. I don't remember hearing about any red heads in my family. I wouldn't doubt it though. So yeah. Let's say that we did." Sasuke agrees as he rolls around and curls up against his lover.

"The pain's gone now." The Kazekage whispers to Sasuke.

Sasuke tilts his head. He wasn't really sure what his husband was talking about. Sometimes Gaara could be infuriatingly cryptic.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"I told you that your eyes are beautiful, but they do hold a lot of pain. The pain is gone now." The Kazekage clarifies.

Sasuke smiles. Well that was certainly true. He had a gorgeous husband and two beautiful daughters. It was hard to be upset when you had a loving family. (A family that even included a Colony of Itachis.)

"That's true. You're the reason though. I never did tell you what I think of your eyes. They're very exotic and fierce. I think that's partially because of the markings around them, but not completely. You remind me of a hawk. Always watching over me." Sasuke says.

"I would say that is morbidly romantic, but I'm not entirely certain that reaches the morbid threshold." The Kazekage teases him.

"Mmm it definitely doesn't, but I was trying to be romantic. So I'll take it." Sasuke replies as he kisses him.

Gaara smiles and returns the kiss. He had never imagined that Sasuke would return his feelings or that he would be a father. The other man had though and Gaara was indeed a father. Life could be strange sometimes. Bizarrely beautiful really.

"Good. I really am sorry about Kankuro though. He has this strange idea in his head that your children would be born breathing fire and with the Sharingan fully activated. I think he thinks they are going to take over the world or something." Gaara tells him with a chuckle.

"Well he was partially right. One of them breathes fire. No Sharingans yet though. That's alright. We'll give them a few years and then they'll be ready for world domination." The raven haired man states with a smirk.

"Sasuke, you are impossible." Gaara snorts in amusement.

Sasuke smiles and he kisses the Kazekage's forehead. He never thought that he would find love, after "losing" Naruto to Hinata. He had though. Not only had he found love, but he had a family now. That made him very happy.

"Impossibly in love with you." Sasuke says with a smile.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched. Konan and Itachi were watching the entire scene play out with great amusement. Itachi in particular was having a grand time.

"Well it's about time that my foolish little brother settled down." Itachi observes.

"Mhm. Do you think that we should let them have their privacy now that they've lived happily ever after?" Konan asks her Mate.

"What? Of course not. We'll have to meddle with my foolish little nieces next. In a few years, all the boys will be after them. It's my job as their uncle to protect them." He says smugly.

Konan could only shake her head in response. Well Itachi was certainly nothing, if not completely devoted to his family. Both of his families. Be they human or butterfly.

"That's true. Come on, my love. Let's give them their privacy." She states and with that, she begins to fly off.

Itachi smiles and flies off after her. For now, they would give them their privacy. Eventually though, well he imagined that his foolish little brother and the Kazekage would have their hands full with the village boys.

When that happened, Itachi would be there to help them. After all, that's what big brothers did for their foolish little brothers. They looked after them and drove them crazy. It was the natural order of things.


End file.
